tsk tsk

Belgium

I awoke this morning very early to the sound of someone’s suitcase being dragged along the paved square in front of out hotel. We arrived in Brussels last night very late. The train was delayed on route sadly due to someone taking their life on the tracks. An unfortunate incident that happens all over the world each day I guess. Something else that is also universally common are the crazy skills of taxi drivers. Talk about taking your life in your own hands.

Our Sunday in Amsterdam passed very quickly. We walked more around the streets, cruised the canals on a tour, bought a beautiful print from some artist’s markets called art plein spui. Quite a small, market with only a dozen or so stalls, but the quality of the works was worth the diversion. I had a lovely conversation with artist, Marjan Smit about her drypoint prints. We decided to buy one of the small works called Eigen Drunk.
The market is open on Sundays from 10am-6pm, March to December.
By the time we found a warm and cosy place to have a late lunch, we realised that it was time to get our bags, head for the train station and farewell the city. We noted that there is a great variety of restaurants to choose from. Including, Indonesian (being an ex colony of  this region) and also Argentinean cuisine. So if you love your meet you won’t have trouble finding somewhere to eat. I was surprised not to see more seafood focused restaurants. Not that I eat a lot of seafood myself, but given Amsterdam’s accessibility to the seas I thought there would be perhaps be more on the fish scene. The bakeries were good, and I have no doubt they will continue to impress our tastebuds as we venture south.

So my day ahead awaits. Weather today is meant to be lousy, but I am prepared. Today is my first day on my own. Mr N and his work colleague have already left for the conference here in Brussels. They are setting up for a poster presentation and a big day of networking I guess. I have a list of shops, and places of interest to visit and may head to Brugge tomorrow.

I’m missing the kids terribly and have often had a tear or two in my eye when thinking about them. I know however that the week will fly by, and before long we will be on our way back home.

I could live in this city

Saturday 29th March

We have arrived in Amsterdam. The hotel room is musty so I have opened the window to let the fresh air inside. Trams and cars whiz by very noisily. Mr N is ‘resting’ his eyes whilst I force mine to stay awake.

I am writing this at a local time of 5.11pm. Australian time it is really 2.11am. I feel like I am on a sleep deprived, over walked, over stimulated, slightly over eaten and fuelled up zombie tour.

What an amazingly beautiful city. Everything I thought it would be, plus more. The city to us seems, relaxed and easy going….and CLEAN! Hello, only one dog poo on our walk through the streets! Compared to my last visit to Europe (well Italy) where walking on the pavement was an extremely risky part of the day!

We arrived just after 6.30am this morning, checked into the hotel, but couldn’t have the room until after 2 this afternoon. So the entire day has been spent walking the streets. We walked with a tour group which was great and I have to say a new experience for me…we are usually a ‘do it yourself tourist’. However I figure that because we have such a short amount of time here, we need a little assistance.

A very cheap, relaxed tour guide, by the name of Shaun, led us around many different parts of the city , some touristy, some not. We have walked and walked and walked. Weaved ourselves throughout the streets, stopping only for food and alcohol. Watching the tourists and locals crowd the streets. Veered ourselves around the extraordinary amount of bicycles. Inhaled the “unique smell” of the local coffee shops, felt the icy winds on our finger tips and cheeks, eaten piping hot chips, freshly cooked soup, waffles and finally finished the day with 3 or more shots of some distinctly local brew from Wynand Fockink.

My tiredness feels like I am not making sense. I need a shower and some dinner. If I can just hang out for another 3 hours I will be fine. Don’t fall asleep, don’t fall asleep. I’ll write more soon when I cam more coherent.

Sunday 30th March

I fell asleep. Didn’t make it to dinner, but I now feel ready for the day ahead. Sunday in Amsterdam awaits before our train departs this evening to Brussels.

amy butler to the rescue

a quick, last minute dash to the fabric store today. While away I've asked my mother-in-law to recover the kitchen chairs for us. That is 4 years of kid grot you see on the old one. Spilt milk, pasta sauce, sticky fingers.. I had to see what they were going to look like. I chose an Amy Butler design. let's see how long it will stay clean for!

And whilst there I bought some new thread...because I needed to restock.....

and also grabbed these fat quarters. This is from the urban chicks range, called swell. Haven't a bloody clue what I am going to do with it, but fell in love with it! Now I really need to stop procrastinating.

toothbrushes

Enjoying a very normal life this week before our trip. I'll miss my two little munchkins, silly, fluffy hats and all. Infact I'm trying really hard not to think about leaving them....

Whilst taking this pic, I noticed just how many toothbrushes my children have. I counted 9! Where are my other 7 children hiding? Why are there so many toothbrushes? And just throwing the extra manky and chewed brushes out isn't as easy as it seems. My children are attached to them, and I have no idea why! I'll have to sneak them out on bin night along with the mountains of old cereal boxes that have been turned into Thunderbirds 1, 2, 3 and 4 and cross my fingers they won't find out.

perfect Sunday

The perfect day ahead.

Sleeping in (until 7.45am..that is late in this household).

Watching the kids being overly happy (could be the chocolate)

Enjoying the sun move across the house

Cooking dinner for your sister

Hanging up works in progress in my studio and cleaning it up so I can actually walk from one side to the other.

the crochet bug strikes again

I've got the crochet bug again. I think working for Threads & More has done it to me. Everytime I go in for a meeting with the owner about her graphics work, I oohh and aghhh over the yarns and buttons, and often walk out with a few balls of lovely colours and textures. Plus the days are slowly getting milder here (well it is meant to be 28 C today...hardly mild!) I'm living in hope.

Monica from quilt while your ahead sent me some lovely treasures. We did a little impulsive swap after an exchange of emails where we talked about the triumphs of interpreting japanese craft magazines. I was impressed by one of her projects, so I decided to send some insipration her way. And in return I got a pile of goodies too, including this flower brooch and some lovely yarn in the most beautiful blues and greens.

First of all I wanted to make a hat from one of the patterns she had sent. Then I realised it just wasn't going to work...so I made this. My curly scarf to take on my trip with me. I added some loopy buttons so I can hang my glasses from them....if I don't look too much like a granny.

Then next on my, 'must try but  don't know if I'll ever finish list', is a freeform scarf/possible shawl/possible rug. I love the technique that Prudence Mapstone has mastered of making smaller motifs and then just sewing/crocheting them together. Working with all these different textures is quite fun. I'm going to try take a bamboo crochet hook on the plane with me so I can do some on the way. If they confiscate it, then so be it! I'll take some anti-histamines instead and try and catch up on plenty of sleep.

Buona Pasque

Nothing much to report here. I began this post much earlier today. It will only take 5 minutes I thought.....

then Miss M needed to go to the loo and wanted me to help her. When I finished she asked me to get a toy down from a shelf, then I started cleaning up her room and sorting out dirty clothes, clothes that had only been worn for 5 minutes, and clothes that were ready for the washing machine. I then grabbed an armful of more dirty clothes and took them downstairs to the laundry. Then the dog started barking at some birds. I stepped outside to get him under control and noticed all the swimming gear sitting on the fence, it had been there for a couple of weeks.

I then came back upstairs to feed my starving child who manages to have a particularly good technique of saying 'I'm soooo hungry mum' at the most inconvenient times.

I then unstacked the dishwasher.

I then restacked the dishwasher.

At this stage the phone rang and during the conversation I remembered that I still needed to call a locksmith as the two I had called yesterday have not yet shown their faces!!

I then searched the internet for a number. I got distracted on flickr.

An Etsy order came through and I thought I would quickly put it together so I could post it before the weekend.

I called the locksmith.

I played monster snap with Miss M.

It was then time to go to school and get Mr A.

Afterwards I promised to go to the video shop (will they ever be known as dvd shops?) and they selected very slowly. We needed milk and bread. To avoid going into the big supermarket, I bought my milk at the fruit and veg shop. I then realised we needed potatoes, and grabbed some yummy looking figs.

We went to the bakery, I bought the essential loaf and decided that 1/2 a dozen hot cross buns would be also be good over the next couple of days. Then, after getting some chicken bits and pieces to cook for dinner, we came home.

After the usual rigmarole of getting out of the car, carrying school bags, shopping, refereeing after school arguments, I finally sit here at my desk and write this blog.

This post was going to be a lot shorter. I simply wanted to say....

Enjoy your weekend everyone. If you are travelling, please be safe. And to share some greetings from my Italian cousins,  Una serena Pasqua a voi e alle vostre famigle.

pattern making mode

I've been walking on a different treadmill of late. I've had many things to think about and do. Project deadlines are looming, my trip needs to be organised, jobs for clients pushed along the pipeline, and Easter falls right in the middle of it all. We don't have any major plans this year. I say that like we do other years...but we don't. We'll stay here and just hang out. I've also been in pattern making mode again, thinking, creating, putting out ideas. Here are some I did tonight. I'm thinking when I come back to start selling some of my pattern designs as prints. Mmmmmm, just another idea floating in my head.

If anyone is living in Europe (near France) can you tell me if it going to warm up a little??? I've been rummaging around in the wardrobes pulling out my winter stock and giving it a good air. It is so hard to pack light when everything is thick and bulky!

hi ho, hi ho...

This week, I've been at my dark little corner, working on some graphic design and branding for this company. It is a slow process, but  I'm making tracks and enjoying working with them. It is good when you get a client that you can relate to, and you love their stuff!

Apart from that I've finally put some new cards in my shop. I have two weeks to finish everything on my project/working list.

Right now I can hear the sounds of cars driving passed my house, birds, a whipper-snipper, and Mr A and his little friend making silly, funny noises in the play room whilst playing with lego. I should really go down and see if they want a blueberry muffin.

Listening in on their conversation has been most amusing. So I thought I would share a little..

Both friends attend different schools and have not seen each other since kindy last year...

A: "are you in love with Olivia?"

J: "No."

A : "Well, then who are you in love with at your school?" giggle giggle

J: "I'm in love with Georgia"

A: "Well, is that a boy or a girl"

J: " A girl  I think"

The conversation directly led onto Mr A saying,

"look that is where my dog threw up today" giggle giggle.

inspiration for the week

Things I am loving right now.

These great storage boxes called the pj pocket pillow from modern twist, found on growmodern.

The magic of a linen pinafore from pamela tang

The simplicity and richness of these shapes by Geninne.