Monday, April 30, 2012

Queen's Day

Queen Beatrix and her Family

Holland celebrates the (former) Queen's Birthday. It is a National Holiday.
Last night the festivities started already in the big cities. 
Although the weather was lovely on this special day I've spent my day in bed for the most part, because I still feel quite sick.



Sunday, April 29, 2012

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Mom and Dad


Today is my Mom's Birthday. She will be eighty six.
I was planning to visit her today but since yesterday I'm having the flu.
I've already phoned and congratulated her. This afternoon she will be having her birthday party for the family.
Meanwhile I try to get well again!



Friday, April 27, 2012

Coming Home




Here's a nice song for the weekend: 
Coming home by P. Diddy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ImCpNqbJw

The chorus goes like this: 


Chorus: I'm coming home, I'm coming home
            Tell the world I'm coming home
            Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday
            I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven 
            my mistakes
            I'm coming home, I'm coming home
            Tell the world that I'm coming......


I wish you a very nice weekend!


Thursday, April 26, 2012

New Herbs

New Herbs



Always in Spring I buy four new pots of herbs. They are always the same herbs: Basil, Rosemary, Chives and Parsley. Only today the shop had no Rosemary.



Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Orange and Brown? Seriously!



The New House Colours


I'm quite unhappy about the renovation plans in my street. Today I found out that they are going to paint our houses in an orange and brown colour. I think it's really ugly and old fashioned! What's your opinion? 



Tuesday, April 24, 2012

First I-Photo





So, this is the first Instagram photo that I took of myself.
I like the atmosphere on the photo. 
Still busy finding out how everything works on my Ipod!



Monday, April 23, 2012

This Monday's News

                                        


This is the news on Monday April 23th. 
PM Mark Rutte's cabinet resigned today. 
The weather was really spooky and the rest of the week will also be quite nasty! 
I have bought an I-Pod Touch for myself. It was quite difficult to install everything on the I-Pod. 
I made my first Instagram photo! I don't know how to display that photo on this blog yet.
After a very busy weekend I have only one evening to relax and recover, and tomorrow I'm going back to work again! 
I wish myself a happy week.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Crispy Look on Sunday

Crisp and Clean

A Crisp and Clean look for this Sunday. A white soft jacket with a blue blouse with polkadots and hot pink shoes. I'm expecting visitors today. I'm also planning to bake a lemon curd cake.



Saturday, April 21, 2012

Holland in Trouble?


Troubling times in Dutch politics! Today the 7 weeks of negotiations about how to solve the financial crisis ended in a failure. Mr. Wilders was the first to step out of the coalition. Expectations are that there will be new elections in September this year.
I'm a lefty so maybe things get better in Holland after the elections.




PM Mark Rutte talks to the press

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Doggies at the Photoclub

Two Little Doggies

When I am at the Photoclub a lady always takes two little dogs with her. They are sleeping the whole evening till it's time to go home. They are very sweet and they come and sniff your legs to see if you are nice and willing to stroke them.
So I did that.







Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Later..... with Jools

 
Beth Jeans Houston

Willis Earl Beal



The forthieth season of 'Later.... with Jools Holland' started yesterday on BBC2. Jools Holland presents the latest acts and the golden oldies of popmusic.
It's always on Tuesday and Friday night. I think it's the best music show ever!
Besides the fact that it is really exciting to watch, it is also fun to take pictures of the artists that I like.





Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Within Three Days

Cherry Blossom

Within three days - I think - the Japanse Cherry Blossom Tree in the garden will burst out in pink blossoms. Then it will stay that way for one whole week and then everything will fall down and the pink colour will turn brown.



Monday, April 16, 2012

Musique





Here is a very nice song from French singer Veronique Sanson that I listened to when I was younger. It's called 'Amoureuse'.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MKDcsk_Ab4

Un petit peu d' information from Wikipedia:

Véronique Sanson (full name, Véronique Marie Line Sanson,[1] born 24 April 1949, in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, France) is a two-time Victoires de la Musique Award-winning French singer-songwriter, musician, and producer with an avid following in her native country.
She brings a very personal vocal style to the singing of French pop songs: Her voice has a very strong vibrato.
Unlike most previous French artists of the Sixties and early Seventies, who mostly released EPs usually consisting of a collection of singles, B-sides and covers, Sanson was one of the first female artists to release actual albums with a full-length artistic statement and comprising songs flowing together thematically. In 1972, her breakthrough album (Amoureuse) was reviewed by many critics as groundbreaking, and ten years after Barbara, Véronique Sanson became one of the very first French female singer-songwriters to break into stardom.
Over the course of a four-decade career, and despite her tumultuous love life and difficulties in overcoming alcoholism, she has never failed in her artistic career, establishing herself as one of the most prominent artists in France.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Model Liesbeth

Liesbeth in a rural setting

Liesbeth will be model of the month in the May-edition of my modelsite.
Today was our fotoshoot. We were shooting at the edge of town in a rural setting. It was really cold and cloudy. Liesbeth however was very brave and posed at her best. 







Saturday, April 14, 2012

Pump my Ride

My Bike

The tires of my bike needed pumping up today. Maybe tomorrow I want to use it for a ride if the weather is okay. It was a bit cold this week and the next days it will not be getting any warmer. 



Friday, April 13, 2012

Trekkie

Mr. Spock (young version)

At the moment I'm watching 'Star Trek', the movie from 2009, on TV.
I always loved the series in the past. Especially the New Generation series with captain Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard). I love the stories written by Gene Roddenberry. 
I guess I'm a real Trekkie!







Thursday, April 12, 2012

Shopping Queens






Colleague H and I had our monthly shopping date after work today. We had a lot of fun and we bought some good stuff. Afterwards we had wine and dinner in our regular cafe. 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

New Hair




Who is this yellow woman? It's me! I just came back from the hairdressers when a colleague took this picture of me. My hair is a lot shorter now.



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

You Get It or You Don't

Johnny Baby


Here is a nice song for you, with me singing backing vocals.
Johnny Baby's 'You get it or you don't':


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd4Jc0ii9-Y


Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter Monday




Again a lazy day. I have been sewing the kimono that I was working on earlier in the week, see the results above. 
I also fixed the TV-receiving problems that I had for a couple of days! Seriously!
And my friend A is celebrating his birthday today! Congrats and many happy years ahead!!! Tonight we will have dinner together......



Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday



I'm enjoying a lazy and peaceful Easter Sunday. Till now it has been a sunny and bright day and I even sat outside in the garden for a while. I'm including two songs in this post, both from the Easter musical 'The Passion' with Dutch artists. 


The Passion 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4ch4qZOZs
The Passion 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc8QeQzbDh8


Saturday, April 7, 2012

This Saturday



Well, it's Saturday again! It's the Easterweekend. The weather is very sunny, but cold (8 degrees). Last year's Easter was later in the year and temperatures were about 25 degrees. 
On Friday I visited the bus for breastcancer research (see picture above) to check for breast tumors. Remember I had an operation in July 2010 to remove a breast tumor. I have been okay since then.
So, today I had two visitors! My nephew B and his girlfriend A came to surprise me with a visit! We had tea and chocolate cookies. 
I also made some style photo's and did some food shopping.
Next is watching TV, there are 3 musical programs that I 'd like to watch.


Happy Easter, everybody!



Friday, April 6, 2012

Flowermarket




Always on Good Friday there's the Flowermarket in Groningen. 
I did not buy anything, I just wanted to shoot some pictures. 
You can see how busy it was!


On top of it Dutch singer Raffaella did a performance.


Raffaella sings 'Valerie'



Thursday, April 5, 2012

Pictures from the Photoclub


 


In last night's photoclub session we talked about how to judge a photograph.
It was very enlightening. And we also had snacks!


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Phillip Lim







Don't you love the spring/summer collection 2012 of designer Phillip Lim?
So lovely and sweet but also classy and elegant.
Of course I'm going to try to 'steal the style'.


About the man himself: a bit of information from Wikifashion:


Phillip Lim was born in Thailand and grew up in Orange County California. Phillip Lim admitted that for a long time he didn’t even know that fashion was even an option for him. He started out studying Finance and Business at college before it became really clear that this was not the career path for him. His mother was a seamstress however, so he always felt comfortable around fabrics and clothes, eventually realising that this was right profession for him.
Phillip Lim is famous for his effortless and classic aesthetic with a characteristically offbeat edge. Critics describe his womenswear collection as "girlish refinement and laid-back ease with moments of quirky romance" .

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

D.I.Y. Kimono

The Making of My New Kimono
Accessories


I'm trying to make a kimono from a piece of original fabric from Africa. I want to wear it as a summer jacket. The turquoise accessories look alright with the kimono.





Monday, April 2, 2012

Looks for Spring

Soft like Ice cream


Lately I 've been preparing some looks to wear for springtime. Here's my favourite outfit. A feminine look in ice cream colours. Later this week I will post more spring looks on www.fiftysomethingstyle.blogspot.com.







Special Anniversary

Mustard Soup
Tart with Pear and Cheese


Last night my friend A and I celebrated our twelve and a half year of having a Special Friendship. We had a wonderful dinner at biological restaurant De Vestibule. 
(I had the mustard soup and later a tart with pear and cheese. Yummy!)