The Yvestown Blog

New Roof Fundraiser - PLEASE READ

2012-05-15T10:21:48Z

This is my home when it wasn't my home yet but when the bank was making the money ready and notaries were typing concepts. It was almost my home and during those few weeks I started to dread what Bo and I had done. It's too big for the two of us, 2 families could live in our home easily and about a dozen of illegal immigrants could set up house in the basement. But we bought it, contracts were signed and for four years we are the owners of a badly neglected old beaten up house.

I love this house though, I've never been happier anywhere else.

The year of my scary blood disease Bo started to work on the second floor. There he found out that the beams holding up our roof are the homes of termites, bats and probably millions of other creatures. The roof has been there since 1896 and has never been replaced. No one can really see this from the outside or on pictures but, trust me, the inside isn't a pleasant sight. On days when the rain comes from the Northwest (that's today) we keep the second floor dry with buckets and towels. It's all quite romantic but we need to fix this.

We'll start this summer ... eeeeee!!

So I thought you guys can help us by making a donation. I've never asked for donations before, neither do I have ads on my blog or make any income out of my blog whatsoever. I do get some free stuff and for that I'm grateful. With the thousands of visitors a month I could easily turn this blog into a money making machine but those are not my aesthetics as I'm quite simple and humble about the whole "Yvestown Fame" and I want to keep it like that.

So please consider to make that €1 donation and help us fund this new roof. And help to add content to this blog as with a new roof I'll be able to show you all the pretty new bedrooms.

There's a banner at the top of the index page, click on it and it will take you to PayPal where you can make a €1 donation.

Thank you so much for reading xox

Update:

Thank you so much to all who have sent a donation already and for all your kind words of appreciation. Honestly I feel utterly loved and showered with kindness. I have the best readers on the www!!!

Please feel free to put a button on your blog to promote the roof fund. Copy and paste the code below to your web page, blog, facebook page or whatever page.

A BBQ for Two

2012-05-14T10:21:49Z

Yesterday evening we had our very first BBQ of the year and to us that's something really exciting as we love a good BBQ.

After a hard day of work (me garden, Bo boot room) we decided that, although it was quite chilly when the sun went down, we could pull a quick BBQ. And believe me, one can have a quick BBQ. Last year I bought a "Smokey Joe ® Gold" from Weber as it's compact and it has a handle so I can carry it around like a handbag.

I only use 250 gram of organic boneless chicken (marinated in 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 2 tbsp of ketjap), peppers, red unions, mushrooms and 3 organic sausages for Bo as he breaks the "no-four-legs-rule" when we have a BBQ. I wrap red potatoes in aluminium foil and roast them on the Smokey Joe and I serve all that with a simple salad, that's all what it takes.

I love eating outside as all table rules don't matter any more.

I find it quite bad behaviour when people leave the table, or get up, in the middle of dinner or when other people haven't finished their dinner yet. I find it rude when people don't ask to be excused. I have been places where children (almost adults) empty their plates, push their plate to the centre of the table, get up (unannounced), leave the table (while other people are still eating) and don't even have the courtesy to shove their chair back to to the table. Honestly, so many rules were broken.

When eating outside everyone is excused for their rudeness and for their bad table manners. One can get up and wander when pleased, one can have paint and dirt on their hands, cats, dogs and chicken are allowed to run freely around (not on) the table and so on. It's liberating.

To many more BBQ-s this year.

Kitchen Update

2012-05-04T11:33:13Z

The renovation of my home is still going on and it will so for the next few years as there is still so much left to do. If all goes to plan, and we don't have more employees suing us, the roof will come off this summer.

Bo's busy now reconstructing the boot room what used to be the sun room. The inside is almost done but the outside is still a bit of a monster tackle, but he'll get there.

In the meantime I gave the whole kitchen a brand new coat of paint after the new garden doors were fitted. Those new garden doors are just amazing, we have my lovely mother to thank for them. She gave four sets of garden doors and a boot room window as a gift for our 12 1/2 year wedding anniversary last year. Now those are presents we like as doors don't come cheap. Thanks mum, you are the BEST!!

I also finally decided what to do with the inside of the empty fireplace. I was thinking about a gas burner but it would be really a waste of space (and gas) as there are perfectly working radiators in the kitchen. So I've made shelves, as one never can have enough shelves.

And I took the island out and put the table back in as I missed eating in the kitchen. I really only used the island to dump stuff on and to roll out the odd pastry. I'll have to build myself a small pastry table instead.

All my favourite cook books and Jamie Magazines are in the fireplace. I'm a happy woman now as shelves just make my heart beat a little faster.

I also splurged on new kitchen chairs and bought 4 at my favourite department store in The Netherlands, Dille & kamille, already painted in a very bright white.

I'm thinking of making cushions for the chairs as in winter our bottoms might get cold. I'm not really a fan of chair cushions as you kind of take the construction of the chair down with them, so I'll wait and see.

Our hens do so extremely well I just had to show off. Next job; a pastry table ...

Enjoy your weekend xox

Please ask away, I'll answer all your questions in the next post.

The A List April 2012

2012-05-03T09:32:28Z

1 A Film to See in the Cinema

2 A Decorating Book to be Inspired by

Homespun Style

3 A Book to Read

Wildwood

4 A Magazine to Subscribe to

Kinfolk Magazine

5 A TV Drama to Watch on DVD

Bouquet of Barbed Wire

6 A Film to Watch on DVD

7 A Cook Book to Cook From

The Farm

Mollie Makes Blog Feature

2012-05-01T12:45:38Z

Hello everyone, I'm still here. Calming down after our little company had a really sad, hard and emotional week. But we'll survive and we've learned a great deal about people, businesses and the law. Hopefully everything will be back to normal by the end of the week so I can focus on my home and blog again.

In the meantime you have to head over to Mollie Makes to read a lovely article they did on me, my crochet and my shop. Oh my shop ... you guys have been so good to me, you've bought so much over the past few weeks. So many big fat pink bags traveled all over the world. As a treat I'll have another week of 5% discounts. Use voucher code "mollie makes" upon checkout.

All The Lovely Tulips

2012-04-23T11:09:23Z

I've promised you tulips and here they are, my own little back garden Floriade. I've planted them last September in one of the raised beds so I can take the bulbs out easily and store them for later this year. Initially I've planted them for picking but, how happy they make me filling that bed, I can't pick them.

Good start for a new week filled with sunshine and rain, perfect combination for my garden to grow.

Oh and by the way the breed of my hens are Orpingtons (buff), they rock so I can highly recommend them if you are a new hen keeper.

Spring Sale

2012-04-16T10:09:32Z

Homespun Style Book Launch Party

2012-04-16T06:51:20Z

I had the pleasure to attend Selina Lake's Homespun Style Book Launch Party last Friday in London.

Anki and I drove up to Canterbury, were we stayed, last Thursday afternoon. Spent the evening having dinner at Wagamama and strolling through the town. On Friday morning we went by train to London for some shopping (that didn't work out) and after that we went to the party in Hanbury Hall. We got to meet so many lovely people in the flesh. I was so excited to get to say hi to Emma Lamb, as that was most of what we said, sorry Emma it was so brief. I also had a brief, but lovely, encounter with Jeanette from Fryd + Design.

And, of course as a matter of fact, my two favourite long time blog friends, Charlotte and Cherry showed up. We go way back and we try to meet as often as possible and I'm always amazed we get to hookup at a very short notice and when we meet it's like we've seen each other yesterday. I love them both very dearly.

And this is the reason I never have my photo taken as I ruin photos. I'm a professional photo ruiner.

We all went for chips dips and a Belgian chocolate milk that made my stomach spin with Dutch bloggers Eline and Petra who were also at Selina's party.

On Saturday Anki and I did some Canterbury shopping (that did work out) and had a picnic in the car while Le Shuttle drove us back to France. At 20:30 I was home and this was the first thing I saw when I took the keys out of the ignition. What a lovely few days, I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such creative, smart and integer women.

On your way out don't forget to buy Selina's beautiful book, as all of her books are beautiful, Homespun Style, It's a must have.

Pictures Ledges Turned Plate Ledges

2012-04-15T08:17:16Z

My new IKEA LIVE post

After Easter

2012-04-10T08:56:06Z

Easter this year was really lovely. We started the day with a sun drenched dining room and a very first egg in the chicken house, I felt so proud and still haven't eaten it.

The tulips I planted last year are quite spectacular and I was able to pick a bunch for on the table. People on Instagram asked about the yellow peonies but they are not, those are tulips. I'll have to write a blog post on them soon as I'm quite excited to share the tulip-bed with you guys.

Bo's whole family was complete on Easter day brunch and yesterday we had chicken, chips and board games with my three nieces and nephew.

I only have two days left to clean up house before I leave for London to attend Selina Lake's Book Launch Party. I don't know if I find time to blog, so at the latest you'll hear from me on Sunday or next Monday. I bet I'll have lots of fun stuff to show you and I hope I get to meet some of you on Friday.

Have a happy new week xox

Happy Easter!

2012-04-05T22:41:37Z

I'll be signing off for the Easter weekend as it will be a busy one. I have to boil 18 eggs and feed 18 people over a period of two days. Later today I'll be going out for dinner with Anki, Iris and Caroline so I'll have some relax time before the Easter madness begins.

I've made these for my sister, to add a splash of colour, you can find the pattern here.

Happy a lovely Easter, See you after the weekend xox

Super Rural

2012-04-05T11:36:22Z

I've been a big Super Rural fan for quite a long time now. It started out with their famous For Like Ever poster, you can see it featured in my home here and here.

I can't tell you how happy I am with this new sponsorship thing I have going on. And I can't tell you how happy I am that Super Rural is one of my sponsors and sent this amazing neon pink (heart) ampersand print to me. It hangs perfectly in my new dining room above the magazine table.

Thank you Tracy for being such an amazing sponsor!

101 woonideeën Easter Special Giveaway Winners

2012-04-03T14:59:31Z

Here are the 20 winners of the 101 woonideeën Easter Special and Giveaway:

5 - Coco | April 3, 2012

10 - Isabel Rafael | April 2, 2012

15 - Jojo | April 2, 2012

20 - Adriana | April 1, 2012

25 - Barbara | April 1, 2012

30 - Tina L. | April 1, 2012

35 - Anna Conway | March 31, 2012

40 - Balqis | March 31, 2012

45 - Bex | March 31, 2012

50 - Fliss | March 31, 2012

55 - Heather Thompson | March 30, 2012

60 - Chris | March 30, 2012

65 - Mags | March 30, 2012

70 - jac bishop | March 30, 2012

75 - ilona | March 30, 2012

80 - Raquel | March 30, 2012

85 - Jen | March 30, 2012

90 - mamavanvijf | March 30, 2012

95 - winkieflash | March 30, 2012

100 - Laura Gaskill | March 30, 2012

You'll have to get in touch with me, e-mail me your address so I can send a booklet your way.

Thanks all for participating : )

Meet the Blogger 2012

2012-04-02T11:06:30Z

Just to let you know that I'll be speaking and hosting a workshop on Saturday June 9th at Meet the Blogger in Amsterdam.

The workshop will be about blog sponsoring and product photography. I will explain how you can approach sponsors by contacting them and by letting the sponsors sending you products you can review and use at home. I will then style and photograph Brabantia products. Plus: the Brabantia team will crowd source what makes Useful Design Beautiful.

There are only a few tickets left for my workshop, I can't believe it thank you so much, so be quick as the event will be sold out any day now.

I'll hang out after the event so maybe we can arrange cocktails and dancing too : )

The workshop is Sold Out!! Thanks all and see you June 9th.

De Koffietafel

2012-04-01T20:23:25Z

For most of my life that I lived in The Netherlands I've lived in the province of North Brabant. It's in the southern part of The Netherlands on the border with Belgium (hence I now live in Belgium but still do everything in The Netherlands) and Germany. I was born and raised there and each time I went back to live in The Netherlands I lived in North Brabant. I am a true "Brabander". I have a southern tongue, I speak with an extremely soft G and R and I speak the dialect of most places in Brabant as I moved around quite a lot. I love Brabant and I love the people and how people deal with each other in Brabant. All of my Dutch friends are from Brabant as we understand each other. I can't explain it but I sure know that most Brabanders who read this understand this.

All the provinces in The Netherlands have their own traditions and their own food specialties. In Brabant we have the "Brabantse Koffietafel" - Brabantse Coffee Table. It's a very large meal served with bread, coffee, tea, cheese, meat, soup etc. It's like an exploded brunch and it's always served to lots and lots of people at the same time. Traditionally families do this, or go to restaurants who serve koffietafels. I love them, I have fond memories of koffietafels with my own family.

I like to host them for friends and family and sometimes the crowd is small but the table is still packed, the essence of a proper koffietafel.

Even the egg cosies made an appearance. It was a good Sunday today.