Last Tribute To Summer
We can't deny anymore: It's definitely fall now. The leaves are falling. It's cold. In the morning and in the evening it's getting darker every day. But in our garden.. oh those colours.
The garden is paying her final tribute to summer. And what a beautiful tribute it is.
Just A Minute In .. October
Is it the 29th again? Wow, the months fly by really fast. So it is time again for Jenaveve's Just A Minute In... And this is what I have been doing:
Sewing:
A coat for Sarah, a shirt for Lucas. I would love to have more time to sew, but right now I'll have to squeeze in an hour here and there during the week. At the moment I am working on a soft wool flannel dress for myself. Slow and accurate, basting, lining. I love the process and look forward to seeing the result!
Reading:
Annie MG Schmidt mostly. And lots of blogs. I really should pick up a book for myself again. Maybe I should join Pip's book club... It does sound lovely!
Cooking and baking:
Yummy Fall Food. And it's just a
matter of weeks before we can start making Sinterklaas snacks. I
love the smell of the herbs used in those. I'll post some recipes
soon.
This week I am going to make a delicious, spicy pumpkin soup.
And we want to try to carve the pumpkins for the first time. It's
not something people do around here, but I have seen several great
pictures and tutorials online. I am sure the little ones will love
it.
Watching:
Project Runway. Ofcourse. Which makes me want to learn to work with moulage. Does anyone of you have experience with designing that way?
Talking:
About dinosaurs, everything about dinosaurs. And about meat and where it comes from. About how roads are made and bridges are build. About why oranges are orange and grass is green. About the beginning of the earth. Yes, he asks tough questions, that eldest one of ours.
Enjoying:
The fall: Throwing leaves in the air and watching them dance on the wind.
Do you want to see
what other people have been doing this month? Look here.
For this weeks creative spaces, look here.
Back In The Kitchen
After a long period of uncertainty and chaos, things are finally sort of back to normal again. That also means that I am back in the kitchen again. Somehow, I haven't been cooking a lot the last few weeks. Most of all because Chris likes to cook too when he is at home, but besides that I in some weird way don't seem to feel like cooking when I'm not feeling on top of the world. That's silly, because I now realize that probably the cooking itself would feel very relaxing, just like gardening does. I'll try to remember that a next time when life gets chaotic.
Today we celebrated the going back to normal with a homemade mexican meal. Here that means: tortillas and lots of little bowls with vegetables, cheese and sauces. For the children this is one of their favourite meals. Not only do they love the taste, for them it's most of all a party to be able to choose all kinds of ingredients and spoon them onto their tortilla themselves.
I would share a recipe, if I used one myself. But to be honest: I just throw all kinds of vegetables I have at hand at the moment (like tomato, paprika, onion, beans (kidney, chickpeas), mushrooms, zucchini) in a pan and add some herbs, especially coriander and cumin. Then I let it simmer for a while. In the meantime I fill some bowls with for example freshly chopped tomatoes, chopped shallots, grated cheese, iceberg lettuce and some sauces (chili sauce, garlic sauce). All of the ingredients, the fresh ones and the cooked vegetables, I put on the table, together with the tortillas. And then everyone can assemble their own tortilla.
There you have it: The Van Dam way of a mexican party. Being back in the kitchen definitely feels good!
Dressing For The Season?
I remember how, growing up, the changing of the seasons could be noticed by the activities in and around the house. The garden was prepared for the new season, the house was cleaned even more thorough than normal and most important of all: the wardrobes of everyone in the house were inspected and changed. The clothing we wore the past season was put into a closet on the attic, to make room for the clothing for the season to come. Summer dresses made place for sweaters, or the other way around.
I think my mam still works that way. And I notice around the web that a lot of people talk about 'summer, fall, spring or winter wardrobes'. Lists of things to wear this season are making their way from the catwalk to the blogs and contests are written out to plan and make a complete wardrobe for one season.
I guess I wouldn't be a good candidate for those wardrobe contests. I don't put away half my wardrobe every season and plan what I will wear the next one. I couldn't choose what to save and what to store. I just wear everything the whole year round. I just put on more layers, add that sweater to the summer dress, put on some stockings and I am ready for winter.
The only downside is that I always have too little space in my closets (yes, multiple) to store everything I want to wear. But hey, I can live with that :-)
How do you manage your wardrobe? Are there unwritten rules you follow when it comes to what to wear in a certain season? Do you shudder when you see some white trousers in the fall or do you happily wear peeptoes in the winter? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Into The Woods
We went to Chris' parents yesterday. First we enjoyed a lovely afternoon in a forest that was dressed in the most gorgeous fall colours and then we stayed the night at their place. Today we came home and I found three new magazines: Burda, Knippie and Ottobre. What a wonderful weekend.
Now I only have to think of occasions to wear all of those beautiful evening gowns from Burda.....
My Creative Space - Drawing The Lines
Until today I transferred my patterns on the floor. I did try to use the dinner table a couple of times, but I kept hitting my head on the lights above it and couldn't really walk around the paper that way (I guess I found the only downside of a table this large :-)). I also drew on the bed one time, but that wasn't a succes either. So most of the times I ended up on my knees on the floor. Which made me feel very old at times, when I got up with pain in my knees and back.
But yesterday we did some rearranging in the house. Something I just have to do from time to time (yes, I know papa, the periods between those times are fairly short). It gives me a feeling of a 'fresh start' every time again. Got to love that!
This time we moved the commode that was on Olivier's room to my sewing attic. I don't use it to change Olivier's diapers anymore, so I found a better way to use it: as my new drawing and cutting table!
Today I used it for the first time. And I love it. I can stand up while drawing. I can walk around it. And in those huge drawers I can put lots and lots of patterns. Maybe now I finally won't dread tracing patterns anymore. Maybe now I finally will make that dress I talked about a week ago. Today the pattern pieces were drawn. Now onto the cutting and sewing!
Craft Hope Project #5
Quilt designed by Malka Dubrawsky for Craft Hope
Even though Jade gave birth to her beautiful baby girl two weeks ago, that doesn't stop her from continuing her wonderful work with Craft Hope. And this week project number five was announced: Margaret's Hope Chest.
This project's goal is:
.. to provide a quilt for each child in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Public School system who is homeless during the Christmas season. The exact number will not be clear until November but considering the economic climate in Michigan it will more than likely be high (200+)..... What might a handmade quilt mean to a homeless child? It might bring warmth to a 5-year-old boy in a drafty room. It might give hope to a 12-year-boy who never had a handmade gift before. It might give comfort to an 8-year-old girl who wants something pretty to snuggle under.
I think this is a wonderful project. So, do you have some spare time and are you interested to help out? Look here for all the information you'll need to be a part of Craft Hope.
Setting An Example
Yes really, I am trying it again. I picked up the needles and yarn and started knitting. Something simple and sweet this time. And I am going to finish it.
A couple of years ago I probably, with a grand dramatic, frustrated gesture, would have thrown the knitting needles out of the door when I didn't succeed to knit something the first time. Or out of the window for that matter. But this time it's different.
I could say that I grew up. That I am a bigger woman now, more in touch with myself. More in control of my impulses. Euhm.. well... to be honest: That is not entirely the case.
The truth is that I feel six little eyes watching me. Every move I make they see. Every frown and every smile they notice. And I realize that I don't want them to learn to give up when they encounter a setback. That I want them to learn to enjoy the process of learning something, working on a skill and finally mastering it.
Albert Einstein said:
Setting an example isn't the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.
So I carry through. Thanks Albert.
But this setting example thing doesn't only apply to knitting. And not only to the little ones either. I guess it's part of getting older for me; The feeling that it's not only about you anymore. That it does matter what you do, how you influence other people. That it's important that you can be who you want to be, but that that's not always the same person as who you need to be.
How about you? Who is watching your actions, following your footsteps? And do you try to be an example for that person, do you do things or not do things because of that, or doesn't it influence your demeanour at all?
Hallowhat?
Something weird happened in a little town in Holland. People whispered about a certain street, where strange creatures were seen.
They peeked around bushes and through windows. They seemed to be everywhere all of a sudden. At first the people were scared and worried, but someone pointed out: Those masked creatures didn't seem all that unfriendly.
There were even little ones with masks. Little ones that were heard to softly whisper:"It's a party, it's a party. It's a Halloween Party!" "Halloween?", the people thought. "Isn't that something from far away, with monsters and witches and all things scary?"
Their curiosity was stronger than their fear. Carefully they came closer, even though it seemed like magically the street started to change. It turned darker, even when it was in the middle of the day. They heard cackling and almost, almost did they run back to their safe houses. The only question was: How safe would their houses be in this wicked street?
The little masked ones chuckled and brought out some lanterns. And magically the people felt being drawn to those lanterns, comforted even. And they followed the little masked ones into the house, softly chanting:"It's a party, it's a party. It's a Halloween Party"
At first all the people saw was darkness. And then a lot of candles. For a second their fear creeped up again and they looked back to see through which door they could flee. But then they looked a little closer.
On the tables, between the candles, were all kinds of treats. On the floor were soft pillows, so they could sit comfortably. The masked creatures laughed and served drinks. They almost seemed like normal humans. Almost....
Quickly the people felt their fear disapear. They started to giggle and smile. Tasted the food, drank the wine. They felt all happy and festive. They felt... enchanted. But somehow that didn't bother them anymore. It's a party, it's a party. It's a Halloween Party after all!
Join us! It's fun. Grab some treats, drink some wine. Laugh and dance with us. Sing with us. Don't be afraid. It may be dark here in the street. It may seem weird and scary. But it's just enchanting. It's our Halloween Party!
Cackle Cackle
Vanessa hosts the 2009 Halloween Party for all of us. Do you want to visit other parties, other streets, other towns, other countries with a mouse click? Have fun!
My Creative Space
Let's pretend that it's still thursday and I am not a day too late, alright? :-) In my creative space today:
-
A beautiful embroidered and embellished wool flannel, that I am going to use to make a dress for myself
-
In the background my old sweater that I cut. Now I don't know how to proceed exactly. Still pondering about that one.
Hop over to Kirsty's, where you can find a whole list of creative spaces.
To Fly With A Kite
Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.
- Anais Nin -
It was very, very cold today. But for the first time in more than a week, it didn't rain. And when at last the sun peeked through the clouds, we decided it was time to go outside and play with our new kite for a while..
I'm pretty sure their dream for today came true. How about yours?
A Boy And His Colours
Remember the pink knit I wrote about a couple of posts ago? Well, here it is again, in it's new shape. When I asked Lucas what colour his new shirt had to be, his answer was very clear: Pink!
So, Pink it is. The perfect colour for an afternoon at your grandparent's house. A perfect colour for playing in the garden, asking tons of questions about the plants and flowers, collecting some beautiful stones.
It's the perfect colour for a very cool, but also very cute, big little boy.
Eye Spy.. Favorite Corner Of My House
Cindy herself chose the theme this week. I have to admit I had to think hard to come up with this answer. There are several spots in the house that I love. The dinner table, because of the meals together and the game nights with friends. My sewing attic, for obvious reasons. The garden, because nothing relaxes me more than working with my hands in the dirt, planting and weeding. Or the kitchen, where I spend lots of time baking with the little ones and cooking our meals.
But this is what I chose: Our bed. For several reasons:
-
In this bed the five of us cuddle at night and read stories before going to bed
-
Early in the morning this ritual repeats itself
-
In this bed I gave birth to my children
-
In this bed I nurse(d) my little ones
-
This corner of the house I long for most often during the day, wishing I could sleep for just a few hours. Little ones are a lot of fun, but oh boy, time to sleep sometimes feels like a total luxury.
If you want to see what other people picked as their favorite spot in their house, look here.
Overdressed?
Jean Patchett - 1950
Lately I have been wondering about people and dressing these days. I heard women express how they loved certain patterns of skirts or dresses, but in the same sentence I heard them say they would never find the occasion to wear such an outfit. On another day I saw a blogger write about a wedding she went to and even though she made several gorgeous outfits in the past, she decided to dress in a somewhat simpler outfit for the wedding, because she didn't want to feel overdressed.
This surprises me. I almost never wonder whether or not I am overdressed. Ofcourse, wearing a white gown to a wedding wouldn't be very tasteful, but within the normal etiquette, I'd rather have paid more attention to my outfit, than asked for by the occasion, than the other way around.
To me the argument for dressing up is that when someone pays attention to his or her outfit, it tells me they care about the host and his/her party. It tells me that they feel honoured to be invited and that they are willing to devote time to dress appropriate for the occasion.
Another, more simple, argument is that I feel better about myself when I know I look good. I feel more feminine and confident when I pay attention to my clothing. Put me in some baggy trousers and a ditto sweater and I will slouch around for hours at a time. On the other hand, clothe me in a lovely dress with some gorgeous heels, and I will feel energized and capable of doing anything for the rest of the day.
I say: Let's all dress up a little more. Being overdressed isn't a problem. Being underdressed, that is a shame.
My Creative Space
At the bottom you see a jumper that was once mine, but is going to become something for one of the little ones. I am not sure how I am going to make that transformation happen, but I'll figure something out. On top of that is some tricot. Yes, it's very pink, like many things in our house these days. And no, it's not even for Sarah this time... Oh my!
To see what other people are creating at the moment, look here.
Soup Weather
Yep, it's fall. It really is. It's rainy, chilly, we actually turned up the heat yesterday. And we all have a cold. There is a lot of sniffing, coughing and sneezing going on here by all except Lucas, who tells us he loves cold weather and rain.
It's the perfect weather for soup.
For a soft, creamy tomato soup you need:
-
tomatoes (750 grams)
-
4 garlic cloves (not peeled)
-
olive oil
-
1 onion, chopped
-
0,5 litre vegetable stock
-
some salt and pepper
-
fresh chives
-
sour cream
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees celcius. Put the tomatoes and the garlic cloves on an oven plate and besprinkle them with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Put it into the oven for about 30 minutes, until the garlic cloves are soft and the tomatoes gain some colour.
Fry the onion in a pan in some olive oil. Then add the (peeled) garlic cloves, the tomatoes and the stock. Bring it to boiling point and then let it simmer for at least 20 minutes, with the lid on the pan.
Let the soup cool off a bit and then put it into a blender until the soup is smooth. Then pour the soup into a clean pan, add salt and pepper to your liking and reheat.
When the soup is warm enough again, ladle it in some bowls. Now you can add sour cream and some fresly chopped chives.
Yumm. After eating this, we inmediately felt better. Bon appetit!
The Maxi Skirt - Trying It Out
There it is. The maxi-skirt. With me in it. It was fun to make, easy (even though it was my first time putting in a zipper), and the fabric was a dream to work with. And now it's done, it fits perfectly, and I still don't know for sure how I feel about it.
Lucas an Sarah loved it, by the way. Not particularly because of the way it looked on me, but most of all because they could crawl under it, play hide and seek with it, while I was trying to get things done, and hold it while walking behind me, like we were a little train.
I guess I'll just wear it for a while before I'll decide whether or not this skirt is a succes for me. And if not, I could always make it into a very luxurious tent for those little ones ;-)
Eye Spy... My Front Door
Cindy asked me to pick this week's theme for her Eye Spy meme. And ofcourse I'm honoured to do so. I post this a bit early, because I know most of the players are in Australia. And well, you all arrive at sunday a bit sooner than I do :-)
So this is our front door. We have lived in this house for a couple of years now and really love it. The village, the street, the people. This little hanger on our doorbel was a gift from my mother-in-law.
Here in our village, people don't use the front door that much. The people we know, friends, family, neighbours, walk around the back of the house and just drop in through the kitchen door. I love that, it's the typical Dutch 'gezelligheid', a word for which there isn't a real English tranlation. Maybe 'cosiness' would be the best way to translate it.
I would love to see what other people's front door looks like. And how formal are you in using it? Do you want people to knock or ring a bell? Or do you like people marching in and treat your home like theirs?
To take a look at other people's front door view, you can look here (starting sunday octobre 4th).
My Creative Space
I said I wasn't going to show this blue yarn on needles anymore until I was done with it. Well... I'm done with it, but not in the way I meant it back then. You see, I worried a bit about whether or not I was going to be able to finish the little sweater for my littlest one before winter was over. I know, winter has yet to come, but I am just learning to knit ...
But somehow I forgot to take into account the fact that our littlest one is growing. Yes, he is our third. Yes, our other children did grow, and are still growing, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me. But suddenly the little sweater I was knitting was far too small for our Olivier.
So I am done with it. I am not going to try to size it up. I'm just going to try to knit something completely different.
Now, about the maxi-skirt: I traced the pattern and cut into the fabric. Tomorrow I plan to start the sewing. I look forward to it!
My name is Karin. I sew, cook and
take pictures. I tell stories. I dream. I love books, fashion, hot
baths, conversations that make me re-think my ideas and opinions. I
fantasize and realize. And above and beyond all, I am mama to
Lucas, Sarah and Olivier.
