From the kitchen cupboard

More about our christmas food. For the kids we had juice and chocolate spoons. I found the idea here, via pinterest. And were a big succes! A very good treat for birthdays at school, too.

A bit of snow inside

We had a big christmas lunch for the family. A lunch, because there are a lot of small children and we like them to be present too. We served date-cake with the coffee. The dutch recipe can be found at the site of Bagels & Beans. Looking for a good way to serve the sticky cake I found an easy tutorial to make origami boxes. I folded them from fat free paper.

Happy Holidays!

Twins for one day

I don't like to dress the girls in the same way. They are different en should look different. But an exception has to be made sometimes. Christmas dresses for christmas dinner at school. With matching hair pieces. I cut out felt circles in different sizes and colours. Sewed them together in the middle and attached a paillette plus bead on top. Glued to one of my new bobby pins it makes a nice 'flower' for your hair.

Making the best of it

The girls have a christmas dinner at school. Parents and children cook or bake something to take with them. We chose the easy way this time, by making chocolate and sausage croissants (dough from a tin). I was down with a throat-infection this week, so there was not much energy for complicated projects. But managed to cut these hearts from a brown paper bag, to decorate them with red felt tip pen and glue the paper on a wooden pin.

Glad to have girls

Googling for bobby pins, I came across this chinese webshop. Their products are not very stylish, but you can find some pretty nice craft supplies for little money. Especially because they don't charge any shipping costs. These pins came in yesterday and of course I had to try. Some felt scraps led to these flowery pins. As seen somewhere on pinterest.

How to let plain cookies look good

The christmas market was last saturday, but I still wanted to show you how we presented our felt houses (small tutorial here) and favourite cookies (link to recipes). The girls almost sold everything. First time they really earned money. Even after donating half to the good cause, there was a considerable amount left. The girls are already dreaming of pink barbies...

Winter village

We're always late sending our christmas cards. Probably because I want to design it myself and have to find a good idea for it first. It needs to be in standard photo size, because we have it printed by a regular photo-service. This time it became a series of cut-and-fold houses. You can put a light in the middle. Now we just have to address and send them...

All we wish for

The neighbourhood Christmas market and drink were a big success yesterday. We started with a creative afternoon for the kids, making christmas lights and painting wooden figures for the tree. The children could sell their handmade items on the small market afterwards. Which was in the same room as the get together for the adults. Gluwein, quiches, pies, 'stamppot' and soups were made by our neighbours. Two girls sang christmas songs. The pictures do not reflect the atmosphere, but we were all so happy to live in a great neighbourhood like this!

Red, white and beads

Janne and her very creative friend Sanne decorated these felt houses. With a lot of persistance and precision they managed to decorate eight within the hour. I was amazed. The kids will be selling these at the neighbourhood christmas market ext saturday.

Swedish blue

Floortje flew from Stockholm to Amsterdam for a 'business-meeting' with me last monday. More about that business aspect later. She brought me these wonderful Julen-plates. Rorstrand used to issue a limited edition christmas plate every year. Actually these plates were for hanging on the wall but they are also great for breakfast. Thanks for the fantastic present!

Light up your day

The lights I made before were easy. But these are even simpler. And the effect is just as beaustiful! I used baby-food jars, paper doily's and linnen yarn to get this result.

Thai theme

We'll be hosting Christmas-dinner for 16 people. I planned to set the table with things we already have in our cupboards. But then I came across an outletshop selling tableware. Not just cheap, but very, very cheap (6 pieces for €1,-). I couldn't resist this chance to have similar plates for everyone. And, lucky me, my favourite local fabric shop had a coupon-sale. Three ton-sur-ton coupons were sewn to a 5 meter long table cloth yesterday evening.

Gems

The girls are fond of stones. My parents in law brought them these, among others, from their holiday on Sicily. Seaglass and lava-stone. I turned them into hangers by wrapping silver and iron thread around the stones.

Sewing kit, part 2

And yes, when one daughter gets something, the other one wants it too. That's why I turned this dolls clothes closet into another sewing kit. I found it in the local secondhand store. Maybe I'll show you some details later. The tutorial for the needlebooks can be found here already.

Sewing kit, part 1

Not completely finished yet, but today was the last moment to take pictures using daylight, without the kids being around. This is a present that I made for our eldest, acting upon instructions of Saint Nicolas. She asked for a sewing kit and, of course, I had to answer to that question. I filled a very old wooden box (I like the hidden compartiment in the lid), that my parents thrifted in France last summer, with everthing you can think of when you hear the word sewing, knitting or crochet. I used Petit Pan fabrics to line the box.

Hij komt!

Last weekend we went to see a performance by dance group 'Project Sally'. They make productions for kids and youth. Not childish, but playful. We'd seen them before and the kids love it. Really, when you have the opportunity to go you should. This time it was all about presents and Sinterklaas. And he came. And sang! We had a good time, also afterwards, having a drink with our friends in the Verkadefabriek.