Let the autumn breeze in

I know, I know..It has been a while..again..

But the good news is..here is another post :)

In here autumn is making it's 2010 appearence. I always love the colourful trees, the fog that floats on the meadows in the morning and this year the season matches my mood pretty good...

The past few weeks weren't really *wow*.

Unfortunately I can't say so much about it now, but I hope I will be able to soon.

But luckely there were some highlights :)

* My dad celebrated his birthday at my place and I cooked dinner. The main was a Russian stew / soup, called borscht. (my dad has this thing for everything Russian) So the dessert also had Russian roots: blini smetana (pancakes with delicious cream). Very cosy evening.

* Had another dinner party with my cooking friends. The theme was 'Halloween', which might seem a bit early, but the pumpkin soup and mushroom sauce were great!

* While looking for Monopoly at my parents' house, I ran into my old stamp set *happy*

* The other day I had half a day off, so I went to the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam. I hadn't been there before, but it was so pretty and relaxing. Walking around in the sun, watching all those special and extraordinairy plants, cacti, herbs and flowers.

* A few weeks ago I wrote something about the orchid my grandma gave me. I went to the flowershop with the flowerpot and this is the result :) Very pleased with it. Feels like grannie is around again.

* My friend Sally wrote something about the book 'Good Mail Day'. I've found it online and it is really great! It inspired me a to carve my own stamp out of an eraser.

I've send a lot of cards lately, and I received some as well. But I forgot to make scans/pictures of them. This is what goes out tomorrow:

To my close Dutch friend Laura

To Emilie in Great Britain

And today I would like to finish with an image I found in the paper the other day:

Sleep well!

Mail and photos and photos and mail

Woohoo! Finally I have time to make a decent post. With some outgoing and especially incoming mail. I received two beautiful pieces of mail from two lovely English ladies. But more about that later.

Last weekend I had a holiday picture evening at my parents' house. First we ate a French-Czech dinner, with onion soup, goulash and icecream *nom-nom*. Then my sister showed us her pictures from France and after that S. and I showed ours from the Cezch Republic. As promised, here is a small selection:

I hope you like them :) The photos are taken all over the country. We went from Hrensko in the north, to Prague, to Cesky Krumlov in the south and we spent the last two days around Brno in the east. We also wanted to visit the north eastern past, around Harrachov. But there were floods all over the place so we went home early.

I have received a few nice pieces of mail lately, which I am happy to show you. The first two images are from the letter I got from Sally. And one of the postcards within the envelop was designed by Bianca. It is such a small and nice world :) Sally also included a set of buttons, which made me extra happy!

This letter was send by Shona. She included two pretty photos which you can see in the second photo. I fell in love with the teddy bear.

Via Postcrossing received a few nice postcards:

From Jennifer, Germany

From Blossom, China

The Postcrossing motto is: I send and therefore I receive. So I also did my part to keep the postman busy.

This one is on its way to the Czech Republic.

This one is hopefully doing its best to get to Italy.

And just before I go the bed, a little list with nice things:

- The movie Gigantic

- Go out to sail with S. and his family

- Writing some letters

- Hot shrimp noodle soup

- Looking forward to buying an actual tiny green bird (even though S. is nog really convinced yet)

- Cooking dinner for my fathers birthday on Wednesday

- Planning a city trip too London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Paris...ehm...

- Autumn!

Tell me why I don't like Mondays

Two weeks ago I got back from my vacation to the Czech Republic. It was so nice and relaxed and warm and pretty and and and.... We didn't flush away! I will post some pictures soon :)

I am working at my new job now: the marketing department of a cinema. It is nice, but it is very different from where I used to work (The North Sea Foundation) And at these times I wish my English was better, so that I could express my feelings better :(

Well, it is good to be back, I guess.

My mailbox surprised me with a few nice cards and really cool envelop-package made by Shona. But again pictures will follow, at the moment I am too tired.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Sweet dreams!

Czech Republic here I come!

Tomorrow I will depart for my holiday to the Czech Republic :)

Together with my boyfriend I will cross the country with a car and a tent to discover all the pretty things it has to offer.

So... You will see the report in about 15 days from now.

Czech Republic here I come!

Something sad and some nice things

Next Sunday, on the first of August, it will be 1,5 years ago that my grandmother passed away. She was 83 years old and she was my last grandparent to live.

When I turned 19 my grandmother gave me an orchid for my birthday. The past seven years the plant lived on my windowsill, in all the 5 houses I have lived in. But the last year, the plant wasn't itself anymore. It did not get any new flowers, the twigs broke off and the leaves shriveled. Today I finally got my guts together to throw the plant away. But first I made a few pictures:

Although the moment was sad, I actually happen to like the photo's... Especially the last one, it looks like a grasshopper in war-mode to me...

This evening, while waiting on S. to come home, I kept myself busy creating labels for incoming and outgoing mail. And there went out 9 cards today! A selection:

To Brandy in the USA

To Raye in Turkey

To Anna in Lithuania

To Svetlana in Russia

To Maria in Spain

I am not sure about the incoming mail since I do not recieve my mail at this address but at my parents'. So I will update that later. And now it is reeeaaallly time for bed *yawn*.
Sweet dreams!

All good things

First of all I am sorry for being such a terrible blogger by not writing for the past 12 days. But I think I have a fair excuse, two actually: As I wrote in my latest post I had a job interview and ... it went well! Tomorrow I am going to sign the contract and from the end of August I will be a marketing - communication executive at a cinema! Woohoo! I am really looking forward to start working there.

My 2nd excuse is that boyfriend S. and I have been redecorating our bedroom/study room. The yellow and orange walls all became white, the high sleeper became a low sleeper and our big desk is replaced by two single desks. So I actually have my own desk, with my own desk lamp. And best part is that put things on the wall, like received cards and inspirating advsertisements. Happy happy happy :) Here is how my desk looks now. (the black screen attached to the desk is a television)
Because of the tasks that had to been done to create our new and wonderful place to sleep and work I barely had time to blog. But the mail did not stop. And I am so happy with that! Last weekend my mailbox surprised me with a pretty envelop and letter from my dear friend Sally. It was her birthday last Friday and due to all business I did not get the chance to congratulate her. But as a consolation I am working on a little birthday surprise package...

The 2nd letter I received from Sally

The 1st letter I received from Sally

I have also received a few nice cards via Postcrossing.com. I can almost celebrate my one year postcrossing-anniversary, on the 4th of August. I wish I could place all the cards I have received so far..but there are so many! So every now and then I will place a few nice ones ok?

This one came from Anna from Russia

This card came from Adam from China

And this lovely card came with the first letter from Sally :)

I also did a little letter-writing-shopping (again..I know). But it was worth it, see for yourself:

Some nice parrot images, to cut loose and glue on letters and envelopes

This is a really really nice booklet filled with cute and funny stickers,

designed by The Small Object

Have a great evening everyone and I promise to write again soon!