22 January 2010

Celebrations

This week there have been lots of celebrations...

Our friend turning 30
The snow disappearing
And my final day in my current job today!!
I've been here for over 3 years now, so it will feel
quite strange
to walk out of the office door tonight
never to return.
But it will feel good too.
This weekend we are celebrating my little end of an era with
dinner tonight with friends
dinner tomorrow night just the two of us watching this guy

oh my word I'm excited!

and dinner on Sunday with friends followed by Avatar at the IMAX

We like dinner.

I hope you all do some celebrating this weekend...

just because.

PS if you have a minute, check out this amazing proposal!

15 January 2010

This week I'm loving

This photo, taken by my father in Leiden almost 3 weeks ago.

Mr B, obviously. On Wednesday I even gave him a dressing gown as a present.
Now, hopefully he will stop using mine...

My friend Emma's blog! She's a very talented writer. We went to university together so I should know! Please go on over and say hi.

Investing in stemless wine glasses. No more will my innocent arm sweeps topple over glasses of wine!

This cleanser from Liz Earle

Counting down the days until I leave my job... only 5 more to go!!

And this performance by the Gaga...


Have a marvellous weekend everyone!

14 January 2010

This time two weeks ago

I was in Holland. And having a marvellous time.

Mr B and I fit a lot into our 5 days there. We took in Leiden, Amsterdam and Haarlem. We saw friends, made new ones, saw family, went to 2 parties, walked a lot, drank beer and coffee, {Dutch coffee is the nicest in all the world} ate our favourite Dutch treats we can't get in the UK, spent an obscene amount of money on clothes {Dutch clothes are the nicest in all the world, well for my figure they are!}, Mr B got beaten in a game of chess by my father and
of course
I took lots of photos.

Would you like to take a look?

Leiden our home for the week


Orange tiles. I love the orange tiles.
My Oma's house had orange tiles.


Steep steps down from de Burcht.


On our way to eat pancakes!
We had to sprinkle our days outside with frequent stops in cafe and restaurants.
Not just for the hunger and thirst
But to regain the feeling in our fingers and toes.
Man it was cold.


One day I'll live in a house with big windows and steep stairs.


I should have learned to skate using a chair... instead I grab onto Mr B and hope he stifles his urge to let me go and watch me fall. I am terrible at skating.

Amsterdam not surprisingly one of my favourite cities in all the world


Every time we visit Amsterdam I plead and beg Mr B if we can go here
To Lanskroon
The most fantastic bakery in all the world.
This time they were making the Dutch New Year delicacy of oliebollen
{literally translated as oil balls}
Did you know that the reason the Dutch cycle everywhere is to stay slim after eating oliebollen?
It's true...


A tiny side street, somewhere near the Waag


Another of our most frequented places in the city is Cafe de Dokter.
I think this might be my favourite pub in all the world!
It's tiny, old fashioned, dark, jazzy and super.

Haarlem home of my super family, a super shop where I buy a year's worth of clothes each time I visit and a rather super church


The Sint Bavokerk
As seen from the warmth of the cafe next door.

NYE Helena, my little cousin, was woken up at 11:55pm in time for the fireworks.



No need to be in a big city or to pay to attend a professional firework display just go outside your house and you'll see the most fantastic fireworks in all the world!


They lasted for an hour! Everyone just let fireworks of on the pavements & in the street.
Safe, probably not, but wow it was awesome!


My mum loves sparklers. Who doesn't?
On the day we flew home there was a big party...
Not to celebrate our leaving but for two very special girls' birthdays...


Jacomijn turned 4




and Helena turned 9.
Mr B, please can we book our flights to go back again soon, really soon?

12 January 2010

Did you know that Mr B and I are always late?

Life for the bees has been hectic...


Snow is causing every journey, even a 5 minute one, to be quite a feat of exploration!

Every morning I get into the car with ~

a bag of extra warm clothes

wearing socks over my boots so they won't slip

a spade

food

water

a fully charged phone

and my fingers firmly crossed.


I've had to push our car!

Mr B has had to push our car!

And over the last week a total of 7 neighbours have pushed our car!

{some of whom we had not ever even met before}


It's been sort of nice.

In a cold and sort of hellish way.



Work has, now that I'm writing handover documents, got busy!

Actually working at work has been a rather novel experience.

And has not left me time

for my little spot here on the web.


A very belated recap of my very Dutch New Year will follow soon...

promise.

07 January 2010

I'm stuck at home today


and this is the reason why!!



My home has turned into a winter wonderland!

And our car is just not up to the job of taking me into work today!


I can't say I'm too upset to be here,

with the Meesh cuddled up tight next to me
...listening to Eminem's Stan

...giving my blog a new year make over

...and giving myself a face mask
I could get used to this!

06 January 2010

What Christmas brought to me

Remembering what's important
Reaffirming
Getting my feet back on the ground
Taking time
Enjoying little things
Smiles
Laughter
Games
Sharing
Stories
Clinking glasses
Reading
Lie-ins
Love

And of course a new pair of slippers.