Spotlight on Jojojanneke

I was browsing on Flickr and saw these cute pictures from Jojojanneke. I had seen her website before, but since I am doing spotlights on different sites I think are cute, unique or just plain beautiful hand-made crafts. I thought I put the spotlight on this website www.jojojanneke.nl today.
I LOVE arts & crafts, and most people who know me, know I am trying out different crafts all the time. The only thing with me is, I don't stick long enough with it to make it really an art.
Behind Jojojanneke website stands a young modern woman from Holland with 2 young children. She wanted to spend more time with her children and started this website in 2006 when her children where 2 and 4 years old. She likes to design cards, bags, bibs and all kind of funky things with the image of a bird or girl with big innocent eyes that draws your attention.
Check out her website, although it is only in Dutch, the images say enough. Just click on it and enjoy! I did!!

Spot light on: Artists & Fleas

As soon as the weather is a little bit better, so the driving to the City is not as bad, I am planning to go to Artists & Fleas. I have this market already quite a while on my to do list. And today I got an email in my inbox featuring one of the artists there, which seems worth while checking out. It's location is 129 N. 6th Street. Between Bedford & Berry.
Artists & Fleas is a weekly Williamsburg market created to give emerging designers, local artists, collectors, and shoppers-with-a-good-eye-and-a-need-to-buy a place to BUY, SELL and HANG OUT.

Located in a large warehouse in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the market brings together emerging designers' collections, jewelry, art, accessories, vinyl, kitsch, crafts, vintage finds and more. With an ever rotating cast of up to 32 vendors, the market offers some of the coolest and most interesting finds in Brooklyn.
With art, clothing, antiques, one-of-a-kind designs, t-shirts, books, photography, records, jewelry, tchotchkes, leather goods, imports, food, live dj and more!!
Doesn't it sound fun to visit?

The spotlight this time was on Carla Venticinque-Osborn & Aaron Osborn of HEARTISANS. *Carla & Aaron are extending an offer of a 10% discount to anyone that mentions the email* Here is the Q&A:
What makes Artists & Fleas such an amazing experience? The vendors!!! Here is your opportunity to learn more about the creative and enterprising individuals who have helped to make Artists & Fleas an experience and a destination.

Q:How do you describe your business?
C/A: Heartisans is a husband & wife artist- run business committed to creating beautiful goods, with a good cause. Our inventory is a constantly changing collection of unique and fun products, ranging from fine art prints, hand selected fair trade products, to accessories and apparel. We often work personally with cooperatives throughout Guatemala to produce fair trade products from design concept to completion, and are proud to donate a portion of sales back to these cooperatives. We are also excited to announce that we are launching a t-shirt line this spring featuring designs made in collaboration with Love The Child Orphanage in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Q: How did you get started?
C/A:My husband and myself are both working artists. We were looking for a way to make additional money using our creative ideas and skills, but also start a business that served a charitable purpose. My husband had spent 4 years in Guatemala pioneering art programs in children's orphanages, so we naturally had a foot in the door to working with communities and social organizations there. Our gracious uncle started us off with a business plan, start-up funds, and we began our journey into the retail business world, suffering through a huge learning curve this first year...but it was sort of fun.


Q: How long have you been doing it?
C/A: Heartisans has just celebrated its first official birthday in Feb. 2008.

Q: How did you learn your craft?
C/A: My husband and I both have fine art backgrounds; I have a Masters degree from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, and my husband has a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. Naturally as artists, we like to think that we have a good eye for cool designs and products.

Q: Where do you seek inspiration when creating new flavors?
C/A: The inspiration in creating our products and designs truly depends and varies on the product that we are working on. I really love the fact that we always have several different products being worked on, and that we can utilize different skills for different products, and also be involved in every step of the creative process. For example, in making fine art prints, it involves a strict artistic personal vision being expressed. Whereas, in working with our amazing weavers in Guatemala, we think about issues like color, marketablility, material, seasons.

Q: What is your most significant accomplishment since you started the business.
C/A: I think the biggest accomplishment has just been being both a creative minded individual and running a business. I don't think that many artists are equipped to be very good business people, so it is a constant challenge to be organized with our marketing, business records, inventory, and learn customer service skills.

Q: What are your plans/ hopes for the year to come?
C/A: I hope to keep Heartisans alive this year with new and evolved products and designs, all the while crossing my fingers that people love what we sell. I also hope to have outgrown some of this past year's growing pains.

Q: What else do you want people to know about you?
C/A: In addition to visiting us at artists & fleas, we can also be visited at www.heartisans.com.

Having twins

A fellow mother (Janelle Adams of Chicago) of twins wrote this article in a group I belong to on Facebook. I thought it was so funny, I have to share this with you. Since I get most of these questions myself on a regular basis, so I can relate to this story very well. And I am sure if you have twins this will bring a smile to your face :-)

The Top 15 Stupid Things People Say to Parents of Twins

15. “I could never do it.” (Oh really. What would you do? Are you suggesting I put them on the curb with signs around their necks that say, “Free to a good home. My mom can’t do it.”?)

14. “Do they have different personalities?” (No. They are the same human being divided into two parts.)

13. Said by a stranger, “They’re identical, right?” Mom answers, “No. They’re fraternal.” Stranger response, “They are NOT!” (OK. You’re right. I have no idea what I’m talking about. These are not my children. I thought it would be fun to borrow them from a mom down at Baby Gap. It’s been more than an hour. I guess I should return them.)

12. “Are they ‘paternal’ twins?” (Yes. They have a father. There was only one virgin birth.)

11. “Just wait till they’re older. It only gets harder.” (Thank you. I woke up this morning hoping I’d receive a word of discouragement while pushing a cart of preschoolers down the cereal aisle.)

10. “When one cries, does he wake the other?” (No. Twins cannot hear each other’s cries because they all communicate with their special telepathic language only.)

9. From a perfect stranger: “Were they in the same sac?” (Hello. Nice to meet you, too. Will you be sharing your gynecological history with me as well?)

8. “Are they developmentally behind?” (Well, let’s see. They’re 3 years old and thus far, all their graduate school applications have been denied. We’ll get back with you on that.)

7. “How do you do it?” (Haven’t you seen the Nike commercials?)

6. Said by a dentist: “I was shocked that they didn’t have the same bite patterns.” (They are two different human beings, not clones.)

5. “You must be SO busy.” (Are you volunteering to clean my house?)

4. Said to a mom of fraternal twins who are different sizes, have different eye color and different face structure: “How do you tell them apart?” (I just look at them.)

3. “What do you do when they both cry at the same time?” (Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I go to Starbucks.)

2. Said to a mom of boy/girl twins: “Are they identical?” (Uh. Not exactly.)

1. Only one comment could be voted No. 1. The choice was clear. Drum roll, please. After a stranger had been informed that the toddler boys were twins, she asked a simple question: “Are they brothers?” (Enough said.)

Let’s be honest. People are fascinated with twins. They don’t mean to say stupid things. It just happens. It happens to all of us. Saying stupid things is one activity that joins us all together as human beings. Learn to forgive the frailties of others and enjoy the laughs later. Life is a journey. Enjoy the double-stroller roller coaster ride!

PS: Thanks Janelle for the story, I hope you don't mind that I am sharing this with the rest of blog world!

Passports

Yesterday we went to the Thai embassy to renew Jasmine's & Juliet's passports. So the last weeks we've gathered all their paperwork together, adoption papers, birth certificates, house registration. A lot of paperwork you need to do this. And the tricky part is, that the whole document is in Thai script! And we had to fill it in Thai script!! So we got some help from a Thai secretary in Thailand who filled the paperwork out and sent it back to us. A big commitment to renew these passports, we had like 25 documents, originals, copies, pictures...we were prepared. Still it took us about an hour at the embassy to complete the whole deal. Now the only thing we have to do is wait 6-8 weeks and they will send it in the mail to us. What a relief we don't need to go back! However, it is all worth it to us. We like the girls to keep their Thai identity till they are 18, so they can make their own decisions. With dual citizenship they can go anywhere and travel easy. With only a Thai passport it is a lot harder to travel, you need a visa for EVERY country you like to go to, and most of the countries you even need a sponsor for the duration of your visit. Most Europeans or Americans don't realize that with their passports it is so easy to travel, go wherever you like to go. For a lot of citizens from Asian countries that is not the case. Since this passport trip is not the most fun for the girls, we decided to stop afterwards at Dylan's Candy Bar.
A huge candy store from the daughter of Ralph Lauren. Very cute store, and I don't need to tell you the girls felt like a kid in the candy store! They couldn't make up their minds, so much too choose from, so many colors, so many good candy. But they were happy with their choice and the trip to NYC wasn't so bad after all!

Craving for spring...and what do I get?!!...@#$

..Snow again!!
We had a snow storm today in the NE. And we were the lucky ones who got 5-8 inches of fresh snow, that had to be shoveled off the drive-way. The kids had no school, which they don't mind of course! And played in the yard, which was a lot of fun. They decided to slide of a big rock, made the beginning of a gigantic snowman, while me and my dear hubby were shoveling, and shoveling...no end came to it. But if we want to be able to leave the house I guess we have to put into the work. It is a nice excersice, so to make something positive out of a negative. So this is the view from our backyard, even Buddha in our house needed some ear mufs we thought ;-)
I guess my craving for spring has to wait a little longer before it becomes reality...I mean I can crave, but if it happens soon, I doubt it.
Enjoy your last bit of winter and sip on some nice hot chocolate, it taste much better now!

Cravings for spring!

I don't know about you guys, but I have cravings.....cravings for spring. I had enough of this cold grey weather. I crave....colors!
white; of the pristine beaches of Florida
yellow; of the sun shining through the new leaves
bright green; of the new grass (and I am craving that smell of fresh mowed grass)
orange; of tulips from Amsterdam and fresh oranges
red; fresh juicy strawberries
pink; of the cheeks of my children when they play outside
purple; the fragrant lavender that grows all over France
blue; of the bright blue skies & the deep water of the oceans where I can dip my toes in. And all the colors in between.
I crave hearing the birds tjirping, finding a mate and building a nest. The new buds on the trees, the new baby ducklings in the pond in front of my house, the smell of spring in the air. I crave all these new beginnings, fresh smells, sun shine, going for beach walks on bare feet, hearing the voices of the kids playing outside, hikes in the woods, having picknics in the park, going to outdoor games with the kids, being outside without a big coat or bundled up with layers of clothing. I am craving for beaches, palm trees, lazy evenings with a book on the porch, seeing the sunset and just dreaming away. I don't know about you guys...but winter is taking too long. I need some change!...maybe that is what Barack Obama want too...just the spring! ;-)

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

Bombaloo Diaper Cakes

Dear friends of mine Liz & Josh, who we met while living in Thailand and always stayed in touch with, just got a new baby boy JT at Xmas day. I was so excited for them, so I decided to make something special. I made and sold diaper cakes before, so this is what I was planning to do for them as well. This diaper cake is made completely out of disposable diapers with 3 tiers and adorned with cascading silk flowers. Each cake is assembled by hand and makes the perfect centerpiece for a baby shower. The inside of the cake is filled with custom gifts. And on top to finish it off I put a little whimsical stuffed animal for the baby to play with. Each cake is unique, no stuffed animal or gifts inside are the same. I had ordered a onesie from Holland, so I had to wait a while, but finally it came and I finished the project and now it is on its way to California. Their son is just precious and so handsome already, I am sure the little boy will have some trouble fighting off the girls in a few years! Congratulations Josh & Liz with JT, we wish the 3 of you all the best!
Love, M

PS: if you are interested in a Diaper Cake, drop me a line at mdijkstra@sbcglobal.net and I custom make one for you in the colors you like!

Tuesday ~ Ballet ~

Every Tuesday Jasmine & Juliet have ballet after school. They always get so excited, so by the time they are home they get dressed in their outfit and start practicing. The 'feet work' is very important, and before you know it they show me the basic ballet steps. Below are some of the basic ballet steps the girls are trying to show me:
Arabesque Stand on the right leg while the left leg is raised straight out behind
Chasse A galloping motion where one leg appears to chase the other.
Emboite Move forward while jumping on alternate toes.
Jete Leaping from one leg to another.
Piroutte To turn, or spin.
Passe To pass the leg into a new position.
Pas de chat A jump to the side.
Plie To bend down the knees.
Releve To rise upon the tiptoes.
Port de Bras Moving the arms through various positions.
Saute To jump.
Tendu To stretch the leg while maintaining a pointed toe.

In May we have their first performance on stage, and we all can't wait to see it!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yesterday we had already a Valentine's potluck party at our house. For the children we had some arts & crafts, they made hearts from paper to hang on the chandelier as mobiles. Then we decorated cookies and we made 2 huge pound cake hearts for after dinner, and did some chocolate fondue for dessert. A wonderful party celebrated with friends. Today Jasmine & Juliet will have their Valentine party at school, we also made some crafts and they are excited to bring home all the other valentines from their friends in class.

Here some valentine quotes I thought were funny:
I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon. ~Author Unknown
Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown
Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever. ~Author Unknown
We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? ~Author Unknown
Come live in my heart and pay no rent. ~Samuel Lover
The most beautiful view is the one I share with you. ~Author Unknown

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!!

Harajuku girls - no limitations, no boundaries, it's like an art.

Japan has some interesting cultures, one of them I like in particular, and that is Harajuku. Because it is a free expression of the way young teenagers in Tokyo like to dress themselves. Very colorful and interesting to watch.
Harajuku (原宿 "meadow lodging") is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan. The area is known internationally for its youth style and fashion. Harajuku street style is promoted in Japanese and international publications such as Fruits.
The term "Harajuku Girls" has been used by English-language media to describe teenagers dressed in any fashion style who are in the area of Harajuku. These girls may be members of various sub-cultures including Gothic Lolita, Ganguro, Gyaru, and Kogal. They may also be dressed as characters from an anime, movie, or manga (known as cosplay).

The focal point of Harajuku's teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend conscious teens.
In order to experience the teenage culture at its most extreme, visit Harajuku on a Sunday, when many young people gather around Harajuku Station and engage in cosplay ("costume play"), dressed up in crazy costumes to resemble anime characters, punk musicians, etc.

Gwen Stefanie also picked up on this group of people and wrote a song about it, and asked 4 Harajuku girls to perform with her on her tour.

Harajuku girls are the new Geisha's, check out this link http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajpscs/ for more pictures of Harajuku girls by this amazing photographer from Tokyo, Japan.

Chinese New Year celebration in NYC

We went to NYC for the weekend, to celebrate Chinese New Year and to eat our favorite food: Thai. Saturday night we went to East Village Thai, it is the tiniest restaurant you can imagine, but the food is delicious! Only 10 people can sit and eat there, most of the customers take out, but we wanted to eat there. Jasmine and Juliet were having fun with a lime and making silly faces.
Sunday morning we first went for Dim Sum at Yeah Shanghai Deluxe at Bayard St. a can't miss destination for soup dumplings. After that we went to see the parade in Chinatown and we bought some crackers, some lions for the girls and watched the lions and dragons come by. Thousands of people were on the streets, it was crazy, but a beautiful day. And we had lot's of fun! We stayed the night over at a friends house; Espen and he of course joined us for the celebrations. NYC is fun during those festivals, and we are glad we went to see it! And of course before we headed home to the suburbs, we bought at a chinese supermarket some goodies to bring home, and have some chinese food later this week to remind us of our fun weekend!

What is your favorite dog?

I was running this morning on my treadmill and had the Mike & Juliet show on. There was this subject; "If candidates where dogs which dog would each candidate resemble". Quite funny article, so I like to share that with you.

John McCain = Pug
"They will do whatever it takes to get what they want, often using playful or clever tactics."

Barack Obama = Great Dane
Has "an appearance of being very noble and dignified" and "can be trained for protection work"

Mike Huckabee = Beagle
"Its favorite habits—overeating and making a mess"

Hillary Clinton = Labradoodle
"A newer breed that combines the often ostentatious Labrador with the more reserved—at times even aloof—poodle."

John Edwards = Golden Retriever
Possesses "a lustrous coat" and "perfect symmetry"

Mitt Romney = Smooth Fox Terrier
Used originally for "vermin-killing," this dog has a "dense and abundant coat"
Alan Keyes = Poodle A "perennial show dog" with a "pridefully prancing gait"

Mike Gravel = Samoyed
A wedge-faced dog that is "likely to wander off in its own direction."
Ron Paul = Welsh Corgi"An intelligent, loyal and obedient dog that loves a challenge" and has a "tendency to nip heels."
Dennis Kucinich = Jack Russell Terrier
"A speedy, active and intelligent little dog" with "deep set almond-shaped eyes"

Rudy Giuliani = French bulldog "Stubborn and manipulative"

Fred Thompson = English bulldog "Devoted and often clown-like"

Duncan Hunter = Schnauzer
"Prone to behavioral problems"

the Year of the Rat

the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.

A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. Of course, the entire horoscope must be considered when making any personality assessment.

In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.

They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well.

And here some information about a cute children's book.
The Year of the Rat: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac
Written by Oliver Chin and illustrated by Jeremiah Alcorn
"Rats dream as we dream, in epic narratives of navigation and thwarted efforts at escape"
- New York Times

$15.95, Hardcover, 36 pages, ISBN: 978-159702-011-4

2008 is the Year of the Rat! With his parents' blessing, the baby rat Ralph investigates the village with his new friend, the boy Bing. But being accepted isn't as easy as Ralph would like, especially since some of his hereditary habits are hard to break. But when things go awry at Bing's birthday party, how can Ralph help if he's locked in the barn? Surely this rodent has some tricks up his sleeve to save the day!

Ralph's high-flying journey to be true to his character will amuse children and adults alike. Bright and dynamic illustrations will appeal to new parents, those interested in Asian culture, and lovers of classic pig tales. The Year of the Rat is the third in the annual series Tales of the Chinese Zodiac.

Beatriz Milhazes

I just love the paintings of Beatriz Milhazes, the colors, the shapes, waves and fluent lines that kind of fit so nicely together. But above all the colors are so rich and happy. They fit so well into the things I like: unique, groovy, sassy, swanky, hip, bright, bold & funky stuff that gives you the wiggles & giggles.
Here some background information. Established Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes has attracted international attention with her colorful compositions since the 1990s. Her art features elements of both Brazilian pop culture and modern visual languages. Overlapping floral motifs, ornamental arabesques and abstract patterns convey an excessive, sensuous energy.Beatriz Milhazes's paintings are seductive. They are like a rare Amazonian plant - at once both ravishing and deceptive, full of layers, unexpected tricks and treats. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1961, Milhazes has over the past two decades built up a rich and complex repertoire of images, forms and colours in her work. While she shows an adventurous fusion of in.uences, her canvases have an undeniably Brazilian flavour - filled with brightly coloured elements relating to a string of popular Brazilian motifs, from carnival-inspired imagery to tropical flora and fauna.
Many of these explosions of colour originate in her small, compact studio, where she has been based since 1987. It is situated right next door to Rio's luscious botanical gardens, and, inevitably, the forms and patterns of the flowers - delicate swirls and leaf-like shapes - have found their way into her paintings. She has also "taken advantage of the atmosphere of the city", with its rich urban mix incorporating chitão (the cheap, colourful Brazilian fabric), jewellery, embroidery and folk art. Other influences range from architectural - the work of Roberto Burle Marx, the landscape architect and garden designer who created the five-kilometre Copacabana beach promenade in Rio - to Pop symbols such as Emilio Pucci fabric patterns. Painterly inspiration comes from the seventeenth-century Dutch artist Albert Eckhout, who travelled through colonial Brazil, and the Brazilian Modernist Tarsila do Amaral, as well as Mondrian, Matisse and Bridget Riley. Evidence of her terms of reference can be found pinned to the walls of her studio - magazine fragments, postcards and pieces of clothing, as well as some of her own drawings.

Geisha's

A while ago I did a photo shoot with my friend Suzy, we combined our talents and started SuMii ~ styling & photography ~

I like photo shoots with a theme, so we did Geisha's. Black/white photographs and Jasmine & Juliet were dressed up in kimono's and their faces white, with the small heart shaped lips. They looked so cute. We told them they couldn't laugh and showing their teeth, because the effect of the heart on the lips would be gone. So they took their job serious and looked very demure. You can see a lot of sorrow in those eyes. Good actresses too, these 5 year olds!

Carnaval

It's Carnaval in the Netherlands and more (in)famous in Brazil, and most other Roman Catholic countries. Carnaval is an annual festival in the Netherlands held 4 days and marks the beginning of Lent. During Lent, Roman Catholics are supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures, including the consumption of meat. The carnival, celebrated as a profane event and believed to have its origins in the pagan Saturnalia, can thus be considered an act of farewell to the pleasures of the flesh.

When we were still living in the Netherlands we would dress-up and go bar hopping with lots of friends, 4 days long from morning till nighttime. I wonder how we did it, but when you are young it is fun. Now having children and not living in Holland for more than 10 years I've been not celebrating Carnaval, but sometimes we miss it. Especially when you see the pictures in the newspaper. Here a glimpse from some people who still enjoy getting dressed up and have fun.
(These photos are from wwww.photogenique.nl)

Super Bowl

Yeah, I know, it is Super Bowl Sunday and not much interest to me. But my hubby likes it. So I made some chili and cornbread and we went to watch it with friends. Which is much nicer to do than stay at home.
My hubby is for the Patriots, so to make it a little bit more interesting I was for the Giants. Not that I know anything about the team, but hey you have to have some challenge in your marriage ;-)
And it turns out that the Giants win, so MY team won!!! What a bummer for my hubby...he is not a happy camper now, I can tell you that!! Too bad for Tom Brady, I kind of like that guy, but he has a nice girlfriend (Gisele Bundchen) who can comfort him.

Our girls played with the big football helmet we had laying around the house, being as well in the spirit of the game, who wasn't today in the USA??

GO GIANTS!! YEAH!!

SuMii

Me and my friend Suzy just started a new business: SuMii ~styling & photography~ We do freestyle pictures of children in their natural surroundings. Trying to catch their unique personality and transform these images to card, digital or hard copy cards. Valentine's Day Portraits is our first project together. These cards are just a few examples what we can do. However the more traditional cards are of course also in our stock. If you live in Connecticut, Fairfield County and you are interested, just drop us a line and we make an appointment to shoot the most amazing picture of your little one. Surprise the grandparents with a unique shot from SuMii!

Frozen raindrops

First day of February and it starts being real miserable. Cold and rainy all day long, however in this misery I see something beautiful all over the yard. The branches are covered in frozen raindrops, nature can be so pretty!

Instead of only morning Kindergarten, the girls had to stay all day, since it was too slippery on the road around noon. They came back home so excited, because they went to the cafetaria! ;-) How a little thing as that can brighten the girls day, I just love it!!

All in all, not such a misery day ;-)

Bday

It's my Bday today, and my girls surprised me this morning with gifts, song and drawings for me to look at and open. Of course I didn't get much chance to open anything myself. Since they are so excited and ripped the paper of the gifts they bought themselves with daddy. So real nice choices ;-)

They also decorated the house with garlands, and made the theme this year: spooky party. Self made drawings from ghosts, bats, skeletons were hanging all over the place. I told them I was too scared to stay in the living room at night, since they might come alive. And they agreed with me that that could be a major issue, so they decided to sleep with me, since daddy was out of town anyway. How convenient!!

My DH is out of town and he sent me roses, that is kinda his tradition when he is away. The girls always get very much excited since there is most of the time a small box with chocolates inside. And even before the flowers are in the vase, the chocolates are gone! Mommy has to share!! Yeah...right, as if I have a choice ;-(