Broek in Waterland

I would like to thank everybody who visited my studio last week, it was a bit crowdy but very cozy and I loved to meet you all, thanks for your visit!

Hallo allemaal,
Wij hebben vakantie en doen 'dagjes uit'. Misschien vinden jullie het leuk om mee te gaan naar Broek in Waterland, dat zo'n 10 kilometer boven Amsterdam ligt. Ooit zag ik een artikel over de pastelkleurige houten huizen in Broek in een tijdschrift. Dat was inspiratie voor onze schuur. Dus op naar Broek in Waterland en een sloepje gehuurd. De foto's spreken verder denk ik wel voor zich.

We are having vacation right now and as we traveled to the US this spring, we only do small trips this summer. I know, some people take inspiration from places like Paris and Istanbul when they create,

but when hubby and I built and painted our shed,

we took our inspiration from this:

The wooden houses in Broek in Waterland, which I had seen in a magazine.

Broek in Waterland is a small village a few miles up North of Amsterdam.
Nowadays I should translate 'Broek' (pronounce brooke) as pants, but I discovered that Broek is an old word for swampy. Somehow I think I don't have to tell you what Waterland means. So as you can understand, we didn't use our car to discover Broek in Waterland, but we took our picknick basket and rented this baby:


a very flat boat, which we call a 'sloep' (pronounce sloop). Yes this is an electric, silent, environmental friendly and non stinking boat. It is small, which is very convenient in our landscape see:




A huge yacht is of no use over here. Too bad for the heirs of Aristoteles Onassis!


While there is so much water around, the ground here is soft and that's why the people up here used to built wooden homes.


And they used to paint these homes in pastel colors.




Even the dogs over here have wooden and pastel colored homes.


Not to mention the ducks!


We did enjoy the beautiful wooden houses


and the blooming hydrangeas everywhere


and the typical Dutch open and flat landscape, which will always be something special to me.


Someone abroad once told me that the Dutch are born with webs between their toes.


Like this aalscholver.


I wish we were!
We could sure use them over here.


Bye girls, thanks for having us in Broek in Waterland, it was even better than in the magzine.

Thanks for visiting me, have a great day whether you are having vacation or not.
xoxo LiLi M.

Broek in Waterland

I would like to thank everybody who visited my studio last week, it was a bit crowdy but very cozy and I loved to meet you all, thanks for your visit!

Hallo allemaal,
Wij hebben vakantie en doen 'dagjes uit'. Misschien vinden jullie het leuk om mee te gaan naar Broek in Waterland, dat zo'n 10 kilometer boven Amsterdam ligt. Ooit zag ik een artikel over de pastelkleurige houten huizen in Broek in een tijdschrift. Dat was inspiratie voor onze schuur. Dus op naar Broek in Waterland en een sloepje gehuurd. De foto's spreken verder denk ik wel voor zich.

We are having vacation right now and as we traveled to the US this spring, we only do small trips this summer. I know, some people take inspiration from places like Paris and Istanbul when they create,

but when hubby and I built and painted our shed,

we took our inspiration from this:

The wooden houses in Broek in Waterland, which I had seen in a magazine.

Broek in Waterland is a small village a few miles up North of Amsterdam.
Nowadays I should translate 'Broek' (pronounce brooke) as pants, but I discovered that Broek is an old word for swampy. Somehow I think I don't have to tell you what Waterland means. So as you can understand, we didn't use our car to discover Broek in Waterland, but we took our picknick basket and rented this baby:


a very flat boat, which we call a 'sloep' (pronounce sloop). Yes this is an electric, silent, environmental friendly and non stinking boat. It is small, which is very convenient in our landscape see:




A huge yacht is of no use over here. Too bad for the heirs of Aristoteles Onassis!


While there is so much water around, the ground here is soft and that's why the people up here used to built wooden homes.


And they used to paint these homes in pastel colors.




Even the dogs over here have wooden and pastel colored homes.


Not to mention the ducks!


We did enjoy the beautiful wooden houses


and the blooming hydrangeas everywhere


and the typical Dutch open and flat landscape, which will always be something special to me.


Someone abroad once told me that the Dutch are born with webs between their toes.


Like this aalscholver.


I wish we were!
We could sure use them over here.


Bye girls, thanks for having us in Broek in Waterland, it was even better than in the magzine.

Thanks for visiting me, have a great day whether you are having vacation or not.
xoxo LiLi M.

Where bloggers create.

It's always the same around here...doubting, thinking and (what we call) weighing what to do and then do it in the very last minute...so here I am; with my little studio in 'where bloggers create', hosted by Karen Valentine of 'my desert cottage'.

Na lang getwijfel en geaarzel en een verkoudheid heb ik toch besloten om mee te doen aan 'where bloggers create', ik weet het nog niet zo lang geleden heb ik een studio tour gegeven, ik heb nu weliswaar een paar nieuwe foto's maar toch...vond ik het leuk om het nog eens te doen, veel plezier!

Here it is; let's open the door:


Ohhh and let's close it immediately!
Mmm, I guess I have to confess that this is how I create...in a mess...So what do I do now? Show you some details?


some pink...


a little cutie...

a little birdie...

or we could do a little time traveling, sometime in April I showed you my little studio too and then my studio was nice and clean (especially for the occasion).
Ok, open that door again:


Well that's better!
My studio is in the smallest room of our house, such a room is called a 'kabinet' and you can obviously see why, but no one hears me complaining, this is small, but cozy and in the center of activity in our house; next to the computer and television room, which we call the study.


Above my desk I have an old mail divider from the post office in Vlaardingen.


Behind my desk there is a ladder, otherwise I cannot reach the highest shelves.


Chest of drawers that a friend of mine didn't want anymore.


And a rack filled with jars of buttons, bells and other supplies.


The bigger candy jars filled with lace and knick knacks on the other side of the room.


This is inspiration to me.


I like to see my little knick knacks so I use letter trays as storage, some revamped like this one, or just as is...


as this one, don't forget to click on the photos to see more details.


I use these cardholders (50 cts at the thrift store) as keepers for all lovely cards etc. I get from you! I have about 6 in this room!


my papers and the wicker cases, all are tagged, to keep me from searching.


I keep my yarns and fabrics (and paints) in the basement. What I am using is here in the wire basket (which is filled up to a yard high presently)


I try to keep rubbish (well one girls' trash is another girls' treasure) out of side in these bags. But when I work it is still a mess. I know I have too much, but I can only create from abundance.
Have a happy day touring around and finding inspiration at other creating bloggers, have fun! Thanks for your visit over here and thanks to Karen for hosting.
xoxo LiLi M.