Randomness

dear M.,
my life is really random those days...
I feel like on a roller coaster of feelings.
I guess the things happens in japan touches every one of us. I never checked so often the online news than in the past week. I cant even imagine what it feels like for the people in japan. and every thing i want to say just seems not enough.

it also reminds me that we have to become more aware of nuclear energy and the danger behind it. I already wrote about the topic in november after i've been on a anti nuclear energy demonstration. So please everyone: get more aware of it. for the germans of the readers, this is a webside of the german anti nuclear energy movement: http://www.ausgestrahlt.de/. it can help you to inform yourself about what you can do about it.

There is so much happening right now. than also the revolutions in north africa keep my mind buzzy. I have been to marroco and tunesia and really love this area and hope for everyone that the situation afterwards is better than the one before.

Besides the world news there hase been alot of private action around.
a trip to germany, to meet family and friends, also in theire lifes there is a constant up and down of feelings and now that i feel quiete strong i tried to support as much as possible. than coming back to belgium and trying to reorganise my life little by little, because all at a sudden i have to keep two buzzy schedule in mind... well that speeks for it self i guess. and even if it is by times hard it also makes me incredebly happy . this weekend my uni had open day, and my mom came to visit me and have a look around school. it's my 4th year there so by now she nows alot of people there. and yesterday night you and n and g met here for a gals of wine ( and to try those super nice ginger cookies you made, mhmmm). iT's always nice to have her around but also intense. we had loads of hot chocolate, koffie, nice pastry, food and wine. of course we went shopping, too.

i got a mortar ( late christmas present), found a beautyfull bottle ( which looks good next to ganesha) on the frieday market and also frames ( i build an collection of empty frames, maybe because i studie painting so there are enough pictures in my life, i also don't hang them but lean them against the wall).





a special coffee called paris hilton, an old old backery( 125 years old) called goossens, isn't the madonna just nice in the shop, with fantatsic raisin bread and one of my all time favorites: gummibären ( i also love smarties, it's kinde of the same colour sheme..)




And some more pics of the last week: an old old doll i got for my birth, my god mother made it for me it's called Kasperle. the cover of a great childrens book. and a pot i made in ceramics. it's for garlic, which is called in dutch (koof-) look, and in english you read it " look" so it's funny for me i don't now if anybody else gets it ...








the first lady bird landed on my hand this year so i guess spring really is knocking on the door. probably i forgot a bout loads of things i wanted to write here, but well i'll return to post them.
now i need to eat yoghurt ..after 4 days of croissants, gummiebears and french fries...
kisses
s

ginger cookies!

Dear S.,

5 o'clock is tea time! Today, with freshly baked ginger biscuits:





The lovely tray I got from L. for my birthday fits perfectly. The porcelain tea set comes from a second hand market in Dresden. Also, take a look at the bird-shaped sugar lump (thanks, J.!)
I still had an empty box of "Ingwer Cookies" I once bought- refilled :)
We used ground dried ginger as well as tiny pieces of candied ginger.
come and try them!


Love,

M & N

Charlie's wisdom

Dear S.,

Charlie teaches us an important lesson today:






also, she likes straw hats. lots.

also, this post is completely unrelated ;)

Love!

M.

would wood?

Dear S,

Last time I posted some fabrics with large wooden patterns. The question was: would wood go totally tote?
Now I found I way to work it:
"wooden" tote bag pour moi meme. last time I made one for myself was two years ago, this was really necessary.




Now I feel like making many more of these... anyone intersted?

Love, M.

random > none

Dear S.,

today I had to choose between a rather random/weird post vs no post. random it is!


First-ever home made Tortellini, filled with champignons and Ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach. (yet again: oh how I wish I finally knew how to take good pictures! also: the Tortellini should have looked nicer, to begin with. oh well.)



Lovely spring salad: chicoree (witloof), orange filets, chopped almonds, strawberries, a simple vinegrette of the fresh excess orange juice and white wine vinegar.


Ideal sunday study.






2 new fabrics from Ikea! I love them. Planning a tote bag. But that's the problem these days, I don't get much further than the planning. Too much work for Uni, I'm getting a little stressed with my Ba-Paper. Which is good in a way, because now I'm really into it.

Love!

M.

La Cassata -queen of the dolci

Dear S.,

how very sweet this post is going to be!
literally. N.'s mum L. is taking an italian class, and this year she focussed on Sicilia. For the birthday of N.'s dad, she decided to bake/make the so-called queen of italian desserts: la Cassata. She asked, if N. and I wanted to help- sure thing! A new cake- challenge, I can't resist that. and here is the result of many hours of work... tataaaa :)


I love the 70's kitch atmosphere it spreads ;)



hi there.


The cassata is essentially a biscuit 2 or 3 layer cake filled with ricotta, chocolate, Amaretto liqueur and candied fruit- thus a LOT of sweet stuff! To top it off, it is covered in a thin layer of whipped cream and then decorated with a hood of marzipan and more candied fruit. I find it a really impressive cake. It tastes very nice, but you (and even I!) can only eat a small piece at a time. Also, it is the most colorful cake I ever made/ assisted with. L., N. and I were really proud when it was finished :)


bye for now!
M.

ivy

Dear S.,

your tea pictures are so beautiful! And maybe I do have to go to Genk once, it looks so interestingly spooky :)

I am trying to catch up with my posting, I've been very lazy, lately.

Tea is only one of the many things we have in common. One other thing is, that we can both be very obsessive with things.. with removing ivy roots, for example!
Last weekend you and me spent hours in the garden of the house I live in (which is the house of the Tikis, the aunts of N.'s). They have a huge garden, in the middle of the city, but nothing much happens in there, for the simple reason that it is one big mess. Last spring and summer I already started to clean it up a bit, but it seemed such an impossible mission. Two weeks ago I resumed my restauration works, with the main goal of growing a patch of grass and sitting outside on warm summer's evenings. (Image in my head: A fabulous summer's dinner, with lampions, a glass of spritz,laughter.... kitch-sigh!)

So, here are some pics! (I know that it still looks really messy, but it is SO much better already!)



Oktober 09, the original state of the garden. It looks quite beautiful when everything is lusciously green, but as soon as the leaves are gone it feels like a massive pile of dirt.)



May 10, when some of the ivy on the ground has already been removed. Also, we had to cut the romantic willow, because it was all rotten.



now. I worked for three hours in the garden today. My (insert any body part at all) hurts. But I enjoy the work so much! Especially because today was such a sunny day. And I just couldn't stop. (this is the compulsive dimension to it: oh, here's another root. gotta pull that out. oh, and this one here needs some digging. done. oh, wait, these ugly dead plants here, and this root...)







green garbage of the day.

dear S., dear readers, maybe this is a really boring post. But I just had the urge to write it, with my garden-sore fingers.

kiss

tea and genk

heyhey
i just feel like loading some fotos up.

of or mutual passion for tea. i espacially like lose ones, because like that you actually can see their beauty. our collection of teaspoons ( or how do you call those) is displayed. the cardamom, rose, cinamon chai is from dear d., she knows about my love for good indian, milky, spicy tea.






and than some pics of another field trip to genk. this time we wnt up one of the garbage hills, which are obviouse proofs of the hoistory of genk as a mine city.
so much nature now where they got the black gol before.
i came back with loeads of dry plants, stones, rusted metal and rotten wood.
my had in the blue sky, and the horizont in mist. so romantic. and a bit caspar david friedrich like.










and one pic from the old mine building..., it's almost a painting i think.



kisses
crazy karnival vacations are coming...
kisses
s