African Vintage.

I have to remind you once in a while that I am.... Always on the look out for unique, groovy, sassy, swanky, hip, bright, bold & funky stuff that gives you the wiggles & giggles! From there to here, from here to there, Funky things are everywhere!

Since that is my motto of the blog :-)

And see what I found now on the internet... African Vintage!

Maybe you know that I collect vintage fabrics. I have a room full of fabrics that I bought online via Ebay from all over the world. I have Japanese, European, American vintage fabrics. But not so much African Vintage, but I am drooling over these pictures.

Although the look is vintage, the fabrics are not, and some of these fabrics I already have.

The BEST of the BEST African fabric is by the way: VLISCO ~ manufactured in.... the NETHERLANDS!! did you know that?? If an African woman gets married, she will get married in Vlisco fabric!! (If she can afford it or course). Vlisco makes real Dutch wax prints since 1846. The only thing I don't understand is why the Dutch don't wear it??

Below these fabrics are not necessarily Vlisco, just African fabrics, but nonetheless gorgeous!!

How cute is this skirt? With some scrap pieces you can make this gorgeous skirt!! I am going to try after my break!

Some cool images to give you an idea what you can do with African fabrics! You like??











Tell me, do you like fabrics?? And which one is your favorite??

Have a good day y'all!
Mireille xx

Long term rentals in a different country....

Since I am researching and planning to go to Bali for the summer of 2012 I found a few links that have houses for rent for a longer period than a normal vacation. Say, you are thinking of moving abroad for a year, take a sabbatical, which we did when the girls were four years old, these sites help tremendously.

You know that moving abroad for a year would not cost much more than what you pay now for your mortgage or rent?? Most countries you could rent a house for the same price as you pay now.

So think about it??



Wouldn't that be a great experience for you and your children to say you move to Europe for a year or Asia?? Take a sabbatical and just go! Learn the local language, experience different cultures, what an experience would that be for your child(ren)??

So many people I know do that these days! It is not that hard as you would think! Especially if you or your husband are in between jobs, or can work from home, why not go and have the greatest adventure of your life by packing up your suitcases and live elsewhere! You could even choose a country with a lower cost of living and you would not even need to spend more, better.. less!

When we took a sabbatical in Thailand for 3 months, we spend less money than if we would have stayed in our house in the US during the winter time. And we even kept the house, paid the mortgage, but no need for huge oil bills to heat the place, and food and drinks you have to pay everywhere, but Thailand is so much cheaper to eat and dine that really there were no extra costs... only the flight tickets, but instead of spending a lot of money on Xmas gifts we decided to go to Thailand and that would be our gift!

So if this has sparked your interest in going abroad for a year or so, check out these links! We did it, so can you!!

1st Home Exchange ~ This is the site we are linked with and are quite happy with the number of homes to choose from.

Sabbatical homes ~ they offer home rental, home exchange and home sitting services all over the world. Great source if you are looking for a long term furnished rental.

Trade to Travel ~ "You have great properties. We have great properties. Let's Share."

Lodgis ~ has a large choice of apartments rentals and sales in Paris and New York. Have you ever dreamed of living a year in romantic Paris, who hasn't?? Check out this site and dream away... or make it a reality!

Fusac ~ Your information site for jobs, real estate, services, learning, friendship
and much more for France and the Anglophone world.

Home Away ~ has more than 225,000 vacation rentals to choose from! And has a huge offering in Bali, so I am going to get a membership here as well!

Holiday Velvet ~ 49,394 that's the number of happy travelers they have sent on holiday since 2006.

Anglo Info ~ Everything you need to know about living in, or moving to another country.

VRBO - Vacation Rental By Owner ~ with an inventory of over 150,000 rental properties worldwide.

So if you’re considering your own adventure abroad, I hope these sources will help you to find your dream home elsewhere.

Good Luck!

Mireille xx

A day in my life....

as a SAHM....






and as a mother of twins....










Enjoy your weekend, hope this made you laugh.... but in reality I really get these questions or similar quite a lot!!
With these videos the maker just takes the mickey out of these people with their sometimes in-appropriate remarks or questions!

Mireille xx

Africa, hats & mittens....

Does that go in one sentence and make sense??

I guess!!

Because it is COLD here in Africa!! REALLY!!

People don't believe me when I posted it yesterday on my FB, but it is so true!!

People from Europe or the USA are commenting that I am exaggerating... but I give you the numbers and then you decide for yourself!!

Mind you, we are NOT living in a country where the houses are insulated, we don't have hats and mittens here for sale everywhere, most of the houses don't even have HEATING!!

So when you look at these figures... it feels TEN TIMES COLDER!!

OK, in Johannesburg it is today: 36F in the mornings and 57F later in the afternoon, for maybe an hour before it starts cooling down again. 36F = FREAKING COLD!! When you have NO mittens and HAT, no heating in the house and the wind blows right through your window sills!!!

OK for the Europeans.... it is 2C at the coldest in the mornings and 14C in the afternoon, but ONLY when you stay in the sun!!

Don't give me comments, that I don't know what cold is.... just come here and experience it for yourself!! I rather have deeply in the MINUS and live in Europe or the USA where the houses are build for this cold, then here in Africa where the cold goes through your bones.

I am and I am not kidding... ask my husband, walking around in my house with the thickest socks you can find on this planet and have constantly a huge blanket wrapped around me, one with TWO layers. 1 side fleece and 1 side fake fur!! Honestly it is so cold!! So I am comfy wrapped in my blanky.... but then I have to go to the toilet and my pee is freezing, I have chicken skin on my whole body and run back to my blanky because it is SO COLD!! So going to the toilet or doing any other chores in the house is not fun, if I can't have my blanky around me...

The girls asked me for a hat and mittens this morning before they went to school... but the only thing I could find where the ones they were wearing when we still lived in Connecticut 3 years ago.... and unfortunately they didn't fit anymore. So I could only give them a nice warm shawl.... and the suggestion to keep your hands in your pockets.....

These hats didn't cut it anymore... here they were 2 years old. LOL, Jezz doesn't look too happy in this picture.
By the way; these hats are recycled sweaters... cute or what?? From Flobberdewotsky, a Dutch online store. So cute!

POOR KIDDOS!! It is almost to the freezing point and they go to school with no warm protection.... I am so glad we are coming your way soon where it is so much warmer!! And go hunting for some gloves.... but I don't think they even sell it here??
I better check because there is a real cold front here in JOBURG!!

And don't laugh or snicker at me, it is TRUE. You should know me by now that I don't exaggerate!!

Enjoy your sun and warm weather, you deserve it after this long and snowy winters you got!!

Have a Fantastic Friday!!
Mireille xx

I just ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥....

The cooking series Masterchef Australia!!

It is addicting to watch, and I learn so many new recipes, techniques and get inspired even more to cook fabulous meals at home!

But what is also so much fun is to learn more about each contestant, it's reality TV, so you get hooked to the people!!

Here in South Africa we are behind the Australian series. We are on the second series now and Australia is already on their third. But never mind I am following the second series and one of my favorite contestant is Marion Grasby. She has a Thai background (like my sweeties) since her mom is Thai and I recognize so much in her cooking, since she fuses Australian with Thai in her recipes, which I fuse Thai with Western food as well a lot at home.



Marion has her own food blog, click here. It's named Marion's Kitchen and you can find some yummy recipes of her. But in July her 1st cookbook is coming out, so if you like her as much as I do, go and get her book!

She even has her own kitchen food range of Thai sauces and curries. YUM YUM, now you can easy create those Thai curries you always crave for but is too much work to make! Available from Woolworths, well... I hope soon in SA!! Because I haven't spotted them here yet, although Woolies is THE supermarket we go to here.

And if that is not enough, she even has her own cooking show on TV, and that for a contestant that wasn't even the WINNER!! (I am not supposed to know this yet... since on TV here in SA she is still on, but because I was researching her a bit, I found out ;-(

Nevertheless, good for you Marion, all this success!! For me you were the number 1!

But that was the same with the first series, I liked Poh the best, she was for me number 1, although she didn't win the series, she still has her own cookbook and cooking show on TV, so you can see, you don't need to be number 1 to be a WINNER!! She also had an Asian background; Chinese-Malay and her recipes were also a fusion of East meet West, which were totally yummy!



Poh also has her own blog, see here.

I just LOVE these cooking shows, what about YOU??

Have a Terrific Thursday! One more week to go to school for the girls, and then we are off to the Netherlands and the USA for 8 weeks!! A long break for us! Lot's of things to see and to do! Can't wait to get into the more warm weather, since here it is winter and quite chilly!!

Mireille xx

Life of an expat...

Means that you will say goodbye to friends all the time!!

Which I HATE!!

Like now, we just said goodbye to Tehmina (second on the left) and now Marta is leaving as well, the one on the right.

Tehmina went to London, UK and Marta is moving to Westport, Connecticut.



And then another friend of us, Hyun, second on the right, is going back to Korea. This was our last DOTT lunch with these 2 friends. (DOTT = Diversity on the table cooking club).



We as expats learn to make friends fast, and we spend a lot of time together. Friends as an expat mean so much more to you than in regular life. Since none of us have family around, friends mean we use them as extended family. When we need help with babysitting, taking care if you need to go to the hospital, moral support when something bad happens in your life, we go to our friends. So we are a tight group.

And because we have so many different backgrounds, cultures, religions we talk a lot about these differences and understand much more about each other than when we would just stay in our home country!

Life of an expat is great, divers, adventurous, fun, but also SAD... when one of us is leaving.... a part of you they take with them.

Good Luck Marta, Hyun and also Tehmina... you will be missed!!

But stay in touch!! We are friends forever, wherever!!

Love, Mireille

Purging, moving, 9 year old's anxiety....

Yesterday we cleaned out the playroom of the girls. Being 9 now is a different stage in their lives. When we came here 3 years ago the girls were still so much into playing with toys, playing dress-up, coloring, crafting, you name it and they did it.

But being 9 is a whole different ball game!



So when the 3 of us were purging and sorting out their room we took out 10 FULL garbage bags with toys, coloring books that were full, games and puzzles that were not complete anymore.... kids don't clean up after they play and then things get misplaced or lost.... But we also still had a lot of stuff that is still good enough to give to another child. Well, our housekeeper will take care of that. Everything goes to her and she either gives it away or sells it. Probably the latter... which I don't blame her!

But for the girls this move is another step in their lives. The anxiety is building up a bit. They are afraid that because we will not be there when our stuff gets moved that a lot of their precious things are getting stolen. I don't blame them, because that is the story their heard through the grapevine.... Adults talking to each other without realizing that little ears are listening too.....



Although we are just moving about 10 minutes away, it is still a move. We do need to pack, unpack and redecorate our new house. Finding a new spot in the house, being comfortable in their new bedroom, saying goodbye to the old! Not always easy for a 9 year old. But I am trying to make this move as fun as possible and try to ease their anxiety by letting them pack a box full of their most precious stuff, tape it ourselves and give it to a friend who is so generous to let us stack a few boxes in her garage. (Thanks Ingrid!) So then when we come back from our long break in Holland and the USA we pick up our boxes and unpack these ourselves. That will ease their anxiety...

It must be weird for the girls that this time we don't see the movers come and pack everything, now we just live here for the last 3 weeks, go on vacation, and when we come back immediately go to the new house. And a lot of the things will be in its place already. So for a disclosure point of view, there is none. It will all happen so sudden for them.... but our girls are strong rooted and I am sure they can handle it! By the time they are going to college they will be pros in moving!!

Funny also when we looked at some homes we talked to the girls about each having their own bedroom, since in this house they will be from 9 to about 12 years old. A different phase in their lives, maybe one they need and want more privacy. But they said NO with a definite tone in their voice. However, now Jasmine was talking about that not always JJ's friends are her friends anymore and she feels sometimes a bit left out, so maybe it would be a good idea to each have their own room?? Which of course is fine with me, but I am wondering if after a long vacation she still feels the same. We will see. She has to put the pros and cons in a row and see how it adds up. Because each their own room, would also mean NO play room anymore... And sometimes Jasmine has nightmares and she creeps into JJ's bed, well if she is in another room, that is not that easy. I will keep you posted on the development of the bedrooms :-)

With the girls turning 9 we are definitely going into a new phase in their lives. Will be interesting to say the least!!



At least they have each other to go through this, that is the big advantage of being a TWIN!! A sibling that is one the same emotional level as you, so that makes life already better most of the time!!

Tell me, what do you do to ease your child's mind before moving?? Do you have tips and tricks for me?
Please share, I can use all the help! Always good to hear somebody else's experience!!

Have a Marvelous Monday!
Mireille xx

~ Home swapping ~

Have you ever heard of home swapping?? Exchanging your home with somebody else on the other side of the world for a vacation??

We do that!



We take advantage of vacationing in another country by NOT paying for accommodation. It is a fantastic way of staying in a real great place, you choose yourself. An apartment in the middle of a big city, or a house on the beach, or a lodge in the mountains, if you can imagine it you can go there!

You just swap your house with theirs!!

We do that! And we like it!!

We are part of people all over the world who swap their homes for a short or longer time, you can go to this website, which we are part of, but there are actually many of these websites. However, we liked this one, because it had a huge number of homes ALL over the world. So you have to look out for that, that there is enough variety. Then you pay a yearly fee and you are free to swap, as often as you like.

Sounds good or what?? To me it does!

The only hard part is, if you have only 1 house, a lot of people on these sites have 2 or more... then you need to swap at the same time with other people who want to be in your house, and you want to go to that country at that time... so that is sometimes tricky. So it would be easier if you have 2 houses, and you can swap with the one that you are not living in full-time, but we have only 1 house and it worked out for us!

I am going this summer to Bethany Beach in Ocean View ~ Delaware in the USA and those wonderful people of that house came to ours last year during the World Cup Soccer, while I was away on Koh Samui. So in this case it worked out just fine. And I can't wait to go to the beach in Delaware this summer! I am sure we will have a grand time. And all for free!! No money is exchanged, they stayed in my house and I am staying in theirs.



How fun is that?? OR.... do you have reservations?? It's all based on an honest description of your house, and having respect for other peoples property. It worked out fine for us, so I am sure that this time it will work out too. Like buying something on Ebay, you need to give feedback, so if you don't tell the truth it will come out eventually and nobody wants to swap with you anymore. And in general when you check out the houses and the families they are all very well educated, have nice homes, take good care of their stuff, and they will do the same to your house.

Check it out, and see if it is something for you?? HERE is the link of 1st Home Exchange. And if you like to see my house registered there type in 21810 in the REFERENCE slot on the left.

But go and browse a bit in countries you always wanted to vacation and see what is available, it is so much fun to start dreaming and seeing yourself in that beach house in a tropical location. Or in the centre of Paris you can rent a cute little pied-a-tiere. How fun!!

Tell me what you think of this idea??

Have a fantastic day, fantasizing about your DREAM LOCATION ~ FOR FREE!!

I am researching BALI for next summer 2012, first I was thinking of going to Thailand again, but now I am thinking I want to go to BALI ~ Indonesia for 8 weeks. So hey if you know somebody who wants to swap a house with me, put me into contact!!



Mireille xx

Staff Appreciation Lunch at AISJ!

Today is Staff Appreciation Lunch at school!

And we as parents are asked to make a nice lunch for all the teachers and other school staff! Which I gladly do!! I am so in awe with most of the teachers my children had so far!! And a lunch once a year is no big deal to make.

Each grade is asked to make something different, so that by all the contributions we will have a complete meal to serve.

Grades pre-K and K - Salads (green salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, etc.)

Grades 1, 2 and 3 - Finger Foods (samoosas, sushi, spring rolls, mini quiches, sandwiches, etc.)

Grades 4 and 5 - Desserts (ones that are easy to serve and don't require serious refrigeration)

Since Jasmine & Juliet are in grade 3, I made some finger food, and I have decided on these yummy Mediterranean Rice balls. I found the recipe here. They are even gluten free, not that that was a must, but it is for sure a plus, you never know if there is some staff that can't eat wheat!



What is more importante is that they are totally YUMMY and easy to eat!!

Have a great day teachers and staff at AISJ!! You deserve this lunch!!

Mireille xx

~ Paint your own skirt ~

How cute is this??

Honestly... this is gorgeous!!



And so easy... apparently....

Dirk always laughs when I see something and then I say: "We can easily make this ourselves!" See the WE.... we means HIM normally, but in this case I mean ME!!

I want to make this, but not only ME. I mean ME and THE GIRLS!!

It looks like so much fun!!

Let's try it all together, and send me your pictures, we will do a Paint your own Skirt over the World project....

Are you in??

Let's do it!!

Here are the instructions that I found on this creative blog called Filth Wizardry, just click here, go to the Dollar Store, buy some dish towels, markers and acrylic paint... water it down and let your children go WILD... then let it dry completely, iron it, wash it and sew together... THEN send me a picture of your finished project and I will write another blog post about it!!

DONE DEAL????

We will give full credit to FILTH WIZARDRY where I got the idea from, we will send her a link back!!

OK ~ WHO IS IN??

I hope it is YOU!!

Ciao bellas, start making those skirts, or if you have boys, make a cute shirt or short pants...
Mireille xx

Can't wait!!

To see this bunch of FUN kids again!!



By the way don't they all look like sisters??

When we moved to Ridgefield, CT in August 2003 the girls were just 16 months old. And since this was a new area for us, I needed to make some friends. So I went immediately to this mommy and me music group and saw a DAD there with his twin girls, same age as JJ and Jezz. So we started talking and planned to meet. But it didn't happen at first. So I just did my thing and I guess he did his thing... till we went to our first Halloween parade in town and there I see this little girl with EXACTLY the same outfit as JJ in a stroller, and the face almost looked identical to Jezz.... you guess who it was.... the father with the twins I had met at the Mommy and me music group. So now I was not planning to let them go without any contact details!! LOL

So we hooked up and the rest is history!!

The other twin girls, just 2 months younger than JJ and Jezz are called Emmy and Ella and with their 20 month old sister Mia we have been friends since that first Halloween in 2003. The girls grew up with each other the 5 years we were in Ridgefield, and we MISS them dearly. But we are so EXCITED to go and visit them now next month!! We will be there the day Emmy and Ella turn 9, so a big surprise party!!

I guess you go through life making many friends year after year, but at least for MY girls, their FIRST FRIENDS are THEIR TRUE FRIENDS and they still are always talking with so much love for these kids, so we make the effort to go back and back to see them and to keep the friendship alive!! And I hope to keep that alive no matter where we move, we will be back to see them and hang out with them. 2 years ago we went back and spend a vacation together on Cape Cod and now we will go back again and vacation together, how fun, we CAN'T WAIT!!

A funny detail: when we would arrange play dates or in the winter we would go and let the kids play in the Mall the dad (was in between jobs at that time) so he would do the play dates with his 3 girls and then me with JJ and Jezz, you would see the stares of the other people.... You could see them thinking how can this couple have 5 girls under the age of 3 and handle this?? Because they all looked like each other, although the Liu kids are half Chinese / half Puerto Rican. Nobody saw that difference, and honestly you can't see it.

We would go to NYC together and do DIM SUM or planting trees on Earth Day...



Jezz, Ella, Mia, JJ & Emmy.

Or rent a house together in Cape Cod and spent a whole vacation together having fun, good food, magnificent drinks and enjoy the sun, sea and sand!!

All together in our beach house in Marshfield, directly on the sea. Having lobster and drinks was the ultimate dinner!!

Emmy, Ella, JJ, Jezz & Mia looking for crabs between the rocks.

Just the 2 sets of twins, Ella & JJ and Jezz & Emmy selling lemonade.

Fun memories while cleaning up the beach!!

We had some good times together, and we will soon again!! I can't wait!!
Soon we will be there guys!!

Have a great day,
Mireille xx

Another move...

Another phase in our lives is almost over. We have been here in this house in Fourways for 3 years now, and we are moving to another house here in the neighborhood next month. Can you believe it, we have to move while I am in Holland and the USA? A smooth move, or disaster... we will see in August!!

So much fun we had in this home, and we will have and keep great memories, but it is also fun to start something new and we are looking forward to another chapter in our lives!!



3 years ago, around this time we decided to move from Connecticut to Johannesburg and I can't believe that it is already that long. The girls were 6 when we came, still so tiny and young, and now pretty 9 year olds...

During a fashion show with your most favorite bear... well, don't ask the girls to do that now! LOL but at 6 it was fun!!


Our girls at 9, having lived already in 3 countries, but also 3 continents. Another move doesn't phase these girls!


This will be our last month in our house, and then when we come back after 8 weeks of holiday we will go directly to our new house and everything will be set up for us. Our beds made and we can start a new chapter!!

How fun and adventurous again!!
But now I need to purge, clean up, re-cycle, give away things we don't need anymore. Pack the most precious belongings and just hope for the best that the movers will do the rest!!

Have a great week ahead!
Mireille xx

My new favorite...

Vietnamese coffee!!

Wednesday I made a Vietnamese lunch (Beef Pho, fresh spring rolls, lettuce wraps and lychee-coconut desert) for my friends and after desert I made some Vietnamese coffee. I had these little percolators (called a phin = a single serve Vietnamese-style coffee filter) and is placed on top of a glass filled with condensed milk. for years in my cupboard and now it was the time to use them!! We bought them on our trip to Vietnam while we were living in Thailand, but as most of these things go you LOVE it while you are in the country but then back home it doesn't taste as well, because the whole atmosphere is not the same.

But now I took these little coffee brewing things out and served original Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk on the bottom and strong strong coffee on top!! Just YUMMY!! And now it is my new favorite!!



But you have to be patient, it takes at least 10 minutes for the coffee to slowly drop through... but worth it!!
You can make this into an ice coffee as well. The coffee and condensed milk is combined and poured into a glass filled with ice. You made yourself an à phê sữa đá, or Vietnamese iced coffee at home!! I am going to try that next!!



I am drinking it right now, the hot version, while typing this blog post :-)

And even a step further, you can make this into ice-cream, which I will definitely try another time, because this coffee taste SO good, the ice-cream version MUST be delicious, I found a recipe online.

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream
Adapted from Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cup water
1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon dark roast ground coffee, divided
1/3 cup whole milk

Using a Vietnamese-style coffee filter or French press, brew 1-1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of ground coffee to yield 1 cup of strongly brewed coffee.

Whisk together the condensed milk, espresso, milk and ground coffee. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions or if you don't have one just mix the coffee with vanilla ice cream and re-freeze it again.



Enjoy your weekend!!
Mireille xx

Mark Ryden

I like the paintings of Mark Ryden. They are a bit quirky, freaky, but also innocent and sweet. I am thinking of buying a painting or print from him for our new house, that we finally found!! YEAH!! We are moving the end of next month to Dainfern, during our vacation in Europe and the US, the movers will move everything and when we come back we will move into the new house and most of it will be in its place, how cool is that? Well, actually I would have rather been there when the move happens, but since this is not the case, I have to make sure that my housekeeper Khetho and her sister Jabu will take good care for me.

But back to Mark Ryden, here are some of his paintings, tell me do you like them and if so, which one do you like best?? I told you they are a bit different than the usual painting... so go ahead, tell me, your cup of tea??

I like this one very much, it is part of another one, see below.



I am not sure I would want Ghost Girl in my house...

Now I know where Lady Gaga got her inspiration for her meat dress!

I like this one, but without the Jesus person in the back. Do you like this one better??

This one is cute too.

Angelic almost this one..

But then this one is a bit freaky..

Always that Jesus person somewhere..

Tree of Life with the innocent eyes, not bad huh?

So what is your opinion, worth buying a print or painting or not? You can tell me, I won't be offended :-)
I know this is a specific taste and not everybody likes this kind of art, I just like to hear from you!

Have a great day!
Mireille xx

a late Queen's day celebration...

Every year the Dutch ambassador has a Dutch Queen's Day celebration at his mansion in Pretoria and every Dutch person living in SA is invited to join this festive and ORANGE party. Your clothing should be festive and orange, that is printed on the invitation :-)



Normally it is held at April 30th, since then is the Bday of Queen Juliana, the mother of Queen Beatrix, then is is official Queen's Day in Holland, but this year due to a national holiday here in SA the party was held last weekend on May 7th.

Lot's and lot's of Dutch people are flocking to this event, because the nice thing about these parties are that you will meet loads of other Dutch people you have no clue that they are also living here in SA and there is a free flowing of Dutch food and drinks, which normally is not that easy to get, so we try to go if we can!!

You are probably thinking what kind of Dutch food is there?? Well, to start of we are welcomed by an Oranje Bitter, an orange liqueur, nice... Then we were greeted by a girl who served Dutch Gouda cheese, bitterballen, frikandellen, nasi ballen, poffertjes, raw herring with onions and of course lots and lots of HEINEKEN!!

The celebration is in the garden of the house of the Dutch Ambassador Rob de Vos and his wife Marion.

As you can see everybody is wearing ORANGE!



JJ in line with other kids to participate one of the many games they had for the children.

Here she didn't want to smile for me.

Listening to directions for this next game, water on your head carrying up and down the hill.

And here Jasmine goes.



Both having fun with these typical Dutch games.

Always a fun day for kids and adults!

Do you celebrate Queen's Day or any other National Holiday while you are living abroad??

Have a great day,
Mireille