Queen, I mean King's day!

We're getting a King.
Today!!

That's pretty special.
Plus I really love princess Máxima who will soon be the new queen.

Besides baking cupcakes and taking a stroll around the vrijmarkt we will probably be watching television most of the day to see the ceremony.

Last night there was a fancy dinner with all kinds of important people from the all over the world.
Don't you love this photo of Willem Alexander, Máxima and Queen Beatrix?

Photo source: Het Koninklijk Huis

Have a wonderful last Queensday everyone!!

Camera, oh my Camera

I'm trying very hard to improve my general photography skills but I get the feeling that I pretty much suck at it.

I have an old Canon DSLR and my dad bought me a new lens: 50mm f/1.8
It's really good when the lighting is not so good.
But I'm not so good at operating the camera in manual mode.
I keep getting blurred photos which I hate.
And occasionally I get some brilliant shots.

Of course I'm a complete novice but it is frustrating.

Yesterday after months of debating I bought a new camera.

Now I have a new camera and a new lens... so maybe things will improve?
I almost fainted when I switched it on, the screen is so big and the camera is so fast!
Why on earth do I have to go to work today when all I want to do is play with my camera.

But first things first - work and then time to get ready for the Queensday festivities which starts tonight!

Shall I bake some cupcakes with orange icing for Heidi?
:-)

DWZI - Fancy Dinners!

It was a busy week at work and home.

I cannot believe how time flies...

My parents are leaving soon and I don't want to think about it.

I'm very good at denial.

We had some excellent meals this week though.

I went to Vis & Meer in Utrecht with my parents and it was great.

Plus I so love Utrecht at night.

Last night my husband and I joined some good friends for an 8 course dinner in Eindhoven.

Yes, 8 plates of food... beautiful, fancy and delicious food!

Good thing I had my camera with me this week (even though it weighs a ton).

Have a great weekend everyone!

You can find all the DWZI participants here.

Deze week zag ik is iedere vrijdag een blik op de afgelopen week.

Cake Pops

I don't need much of an excuse to bake.

If it was up to me I would bake every day of the week.

But then I would probably eat everything I bake...

A good friend's son turned four and we were invited to the party.

I offered to bake some cake pops and they turned out pretty good.

Garlic Bread

Where I come from a barbecue is not complete without a garlic bread.
A french loaf, butter, fresh garlic and parsley from my own garden.
Wrap it in aluminium foil and place on the barbecue for about 10 minutes, turning regularly.
Unwrap and enjoy!

Moestuin

The weather was so lovely on Saturday.
After a busy day of children's parties we sat outside on the terrace to have our first barbecue of the season. I finally managed to clean up the vegetable patch. After a whole winter of pretty much ignoring it you would be surprised to hear that parsley and chives still thrive there.

Finally I am ready to start again.
Let's plant some seeds!

Apartment Diet - New Course

The folks I know from the Apartment Diet blog are launching a new online course and since I'm a big fan of theirs I decided to share it with you. Here's a little bit from them:

"What’s an apartment diet? Well, it started out as a joke that every now & then your home could use a bit of a diet. But it grew into a concept. A way to confront our mess. Our ever-changing needs. Our embarrassments. Our new spaces. Those to-do lists that never got done. Rather than be overwhelmed we say ‘start with a corner’…you never know what will happen next!"

"The course runs for 5 weeks, includes weekly exercises and tips, as well as inspiration and a great community of people sharing the experience with you in a private online space on Flickr. We are there with you the whole way and give you tools to start…and finish."

The next course starts on April 29th and runs for 5 weeks until May 31st.

If you're interested, use the "FRIENDS" discount code at the check out and the course will cost you £75 (instead of £97).

You can find more details about the course on their blog.