Vilde arrived in Schilde

This little green doll is called Vilde and she arrived at our home yesterday. I bought her from Ravenhill. She is precious and will get a new home in our new nursery. OK, if it is a girl. If the baby is a boy, she will keep me company at my sewing table, together with the other matryoshka dolls I collected and am still collecting.

Pay it forward

I saw this on several blogs and it sounds like great fun. It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based on the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on.
So here’s how it works:I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange.

I will email each person for their mailing addresses and send a handmade gift and maybe some extra goodies. I won´t send it this month, but I promise to send you a handmade gift.

What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog to 3 different people. Unfortunately this is only possible for those of who have a blog. So come on.....and see who wants to pay it forward. :)

Mod Mom giveaway

Check out these great prizes from mod mom:

tots-on-the-go :: 1 inline stroller with doubles kit $710

whole foods :: $100 gift card +3 heart gift baskets $250

barefoot books :: 12 eco books/cd + 1 grand prize $240

green works :: 12 green cleaners gift baskets $300

baby banz :: 4 child's sun protection swim sets $300

Check out her blog for to participate in this great giveaway.

Babushka dolls

These gorgeous little dolls arrived in the mail this week. The left doll is from Erleperle and the right is a precious doll from Holland made by Dutch Sisters. They are the first two dolls I collected, but they won´t be the last, I think they are too cute.

They will both be joining the new nursery that I have to decorate. I am still not sure what colors to use or even a style. If anybody has a great idea? Please let me know. If it is a girl I will definitely go for the babushka doll theme and pinks, if it is a boy, I will keep the dolls all to myself. What do you think?

Birthday party

Yesterday we (DH and me) had our birthday party. Most of our friends could make it, so we had a great time. I am glad that last year I started a wishlist, so I got the stuff I asked for. I also got some money so I will treat myself to a couple of patterns. I was soiled rotten and among a lot of things, I also got craft books:





I can't wait to try some of the patterns in these books.

Winter quilt arrived

My Swap winter quilt from 4 Season´s quilt swap arrived in the mail. It is a gorgeous Santa Clause on purple fabric, my favorite color! Thank you very much Anne I love it and it will get a special place on the wall next christmas.
At the moment I am making arrangements for our birthday party tomorrow. It will have a Tirol (Austria) theme, so I will show some pics.

Giveaways at ModMom

Check out these fabulous prizes that are in ModMom Valentine Giveaway:

roxio :: 10 mac digital burning software suites $1,000
tots-on-the-go :: 1 inline stroller with doubles kit $700+
kideko :: 1 mod luxury bedding set $260
blurb :: 10 publish-your-own professional books $300
global exchange :: 11 organic fair trade chocolates $250
itzbeen :: 6 digital baby care data trackers $150+
divvies :: 10 dozen vegan cupcakes $240
whole foods :: 3 heart healthy gift baskets $150
green works :: 12 green cleaners gift baskets $300
barefoot books :: 12 eco books/cd + 1 grand prize $240

Birthday!

Yes, I turned 36 today. Got some great presents from Niels and my kids and family. I was really spoiled and had a wondefull day. So I will keep this short and enjoy it some more.

Pregnant

BigPigGraphics.com

Yes, a lot of people already know, but we are expecting our forth child. I am about 14 weeks pregnant and we expect the new baby around July 25th.
So I better get started with a quilt and other handmade things I want to make. But where do I find the time with my two boys running around in the house?

Another thing: You are getting older when...
you go into a perfume store and the clerk doesn´t offer you a free perfume sample but three anti-wrinckle cream samples. Yes, it happened to me yesterday.

Back from Austria

We are back from our skitrip to Aschau in Tirol. Not much snow, no snow at all at ground level, but above 1500 meters it became better.
We tried to enroll Nic into some ski lessons, but as you can see, he didn´t like them. Especially the german speaking teachers. So we pulled him from the class as we don´t want to spoil his ´skidrive´ in the future.

He did however like the little rodeo bull they had in the restaurant where we had a pizza buffet, as did all the grownups. But they had to manage on a bigger version of this little rodeo calf.

We had a great time, but next year we would like some more snow, especially at ground level. Niels had a couple of good days of skiing, so that was OK, and we had two days of great weather (sunny) at the skihut.

Happy New Year

Wishing you all a wonderful, safe and happy New Year. See you all back in 2008 !

Happy Holidays

We are making the last preparations for the family christmas lunch and diner, so I want to wish you all a wonderful christmas.

Four Season doll quilt swap - Winter

Since I am sich at home with a sinus infection, I thought I can spent the ´awake´ time to start making my doll quilt for the Four Seasons Doll quilt swap. My partner didn´t wan´t a holiday quilt but liked snow, so I made a snowman quilt.

Will have to go to the shop to get some binding, but Iam bound to the house because of me being sick, so when I can, I will get some binding and finish the quilt so I can send it early.

Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas was in town, he visited my DH´work, so we paid him a visit with the kids. As you can see, our youngest was not really enthousiastic. Nic however listened very well to what Sinterklaas had to tell him, because he knows that otherwise he won´t get a present. And spoiled they were, Nic got a playmobil knight set and Peter a box with duplo lego. So thank you very much Sinterklaas.

Christmas ornament swap

This is what I made for the cross stritch christmas ornament swap my friend Elaine organised. It is sent to my swap partner. No, I am not telling who it is, she will find out whenit arrives at her mailbox. I hope she likes it. the ornament combines two things I like, baking and cross stitching.

Tilda

These are my first two results from the two Tilda books I bought. The first is a sort of doily for Christmas. I made that one for a friend who celebrated her birthday last saturday.

And the mask I made for a friend that is going to hospital tomorrow for a spinal operation, so I made her a nice sleeping mask for her recovery.

Gorgeous books

I am really spoiled this last week. I saw this book (ISBN 978-82-02-27482-5) in our local craft store. It is really expensive so I didn´t buy it, but when DH herad of it, he told me to get it, so I did. It is a gorgeous book with christmas decorations. I just love it, will have to try some soon.
I made some pics to give you a glimps of what is inside.

Then yesterday this book arrived with the mail. It is from the same designer (ISBN 978-908-574-391-0) turned out. Ardiane At Home is a dutch magazine, and they said they would bring out a book, but it turns out it is a translated version of the norwegian book. But nevertheless, I love it, so I also will give you a glimps into this book.

Dora Live

This morning we went to the matinee of Dora´s Pirate adventure. We, that is Nic and I, because Peter is still too small to get the theatre.
Nic had a great time especially since I bought him and Peter a Dora flash light... The show was really good and focused on kids and we had tickets for the 5th row, so we had great seats.
Great show!

Happy Halloween

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween!

Ready for Halloween

As you can see: we are ready for Halloween. Nic carved a nice pumpkin with my parents, which we placed at our front door. Halloween isn´t a big thing in Belgium, but it is starting to get bigger. I guess shops need a new 'thing' between the starting of teh new schoolyear and Sinterklaas. So Halloween was a good 'new' holiday.

Well, we also went for it, although the pumpkin is the only Halloween decoration we have. And I must admit, I think it looks spooky when we light it and it stands near our front door in the dark.