Photohunt " Self Portrait"

This week's challenge is "self portrait".
I made a couple of them a while ago,
(one of them is in my side bar), but I rather like these too.

However, I can't really decide wich one to use today, so I'm sharing them both.
Which one is best, the first one or this one?

See more Photohunters here.

I'm a Happy Girl ...

Today I'm looking back on a very productive day at the house.
I've done all the laundry, ironing included,
fresh sheets on the bed, and I have a clean house.
But on top of that ...

My new sewing machine has been a challenge to me for the last two years,
I was beginning to feel very intimidated by it,
but this morning, I won the fight, yaaay!
It was a great risk,
or I would get very frustrated and not get the job done,
(and get very pissed off for the rest of the day,
which is again very frustrating when that happens on your day off!)
or I would be able to find out just how everything works
and get the job done in no time. And I did!!! Yaay!!
(I didn't succeed last time I tried, all I got was a bad temper!)

Anyway, I can at last use my (not so new anymore) sewing machine,
and that really made my day!
It gave me the energy to tackle all the rest too!
I 'm cooking a couple of meals to put in the freezer,
and now the whole house smells of food on one side,
and soapy lemony freshness at the other side.

And the flowers I got from my hubby for our anniversary still look great.


I'm a happy girl.
Just needed to say that.

Just Wanted to Say ...

So much to do and only so many hours in a day ...
I'm sorry folks, I just don't feel much like blogging today,
so I'm just blogging this post,
... to say I'm not blogging ! Hehehehe!

Does that make sense?
No, I'm afraid it doesn't, but still ...

Too much stuff that still needs to get done around here, so ...

Oh well, it's contents, even though it sucks.
Sorry!

Thirsday Thirteen, Thirteen Madonna's

On my recent photowalks in Antwerp,
I have been photographing Madonna's.
There are over a 150 in Antwerp,
and I have selected 13 of them for this Thirsday Thirteen.

When one day you visit Antwerp,

just remember to look up.





I really like this one ... Madonna of sollitude










They are everywhere.

Plain white sand stone,

or painted in bright colours.



Visit the other Thirday Thirteen players here.

Wordless Wednesday, Just a Pretty Picture

Just a pretty picture ...
From our trip to Normandy, a cute gift shop in Troufleur, Normandy, France.

Don't forget to visit the other Wordless Wednesday players!

The Chocolate Oracle

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You

You are sophisticated, modern, and high class. Your taste is refined, but you are not picky. You are often the first to try something new. You are lively, goofy, and a total blast. You're incredibly happy, and you always are lifting spirits. You love new adventures and activities. You enjoy living a full life, even if it is chaotic. You feel lost when things are quiet. You rather not think... you prefer to just do!

The Chocolate Oracle

ABC in Pictures Zut Alors!

If you're looking for my Fun Monday,
please scroll down to the next post,
but these will already get you in the mood,
I'm sure of that ...



The final two letters for Quilly's Photo challenge are Y and Z.


I am keeping the holiday atmosphere from my Fun Monday post
with two pictures from my favourite place on earth,
La Provence, in France.

Y ... for yellow ...

ans Z for .... "zut alors!"
"Zut alors!" is what you would say if you were in France,
trying to take a picture of this cute cat on the window sill.
You've got everything ready, and then your model
just does not feel like posing any more.

Zut alors!

This photo challenge was fun, I loved doing it.
Now go visit the others at Quilly's blog
one more time now, would you?

Fun Monday Vacation

Our host for this week's fun Monday is Allison.

And this is the assignment:

Vacations...
this is the time of year when most of us go on vacations.
Show us and/or tell us about your favorite vacation
- where you went, what you did, etc.
Pictures would be great.
Let's all take a trip around a the world via our FM friends!!

Our favourite holliday destination is Provence,
a region in the South of France.
Three more weeks before we leave.
I can't wait to see the purple lavender fields again,
hear the crickets chirping and feel the sun on my skin.
We are renting the same house every year since 2003,
and when we get there, it feels like coming home.


It has a great kitchen, and that's very important to me.
I love to cook, it's very relaxing to me,
and I love to experiment with the produce from the market.
There are some great farmer's markets that we love to visit
to shop for food. We go to the market in the morning,



enjoy a Pastis on the way back...

... and cook something nice for lunch or dinner.


Or we go on a photostroll into the mountains or the countryside,

and enjoy the gorgeous colours, yellows and blues ...


.... a couple of dots of red ...

Small villages that look like a postcard,
it's a photographer's dream ....

I'm in love with that country, does it show?
Regular readers of this blog already know I guess!

I'm counting the days, three more weeks and we are there.
My blog will not be left empty while I'm gone,
I am making posts for each day we are gone,
sharing stories and pictures from last years vacation there.
Huray for the planner button which makes it all possible!
So if you're interested, add my blog to your reader,
and come with me on a virtual tour of the Provence!
It will be like being there with me, I promise!
And of course it would be very nice
to read your comments when I get back!


This is my idea of spending our holliday.
To see others, visit Allison's blog,
she's the host of today's Fun Monday!
Have fun!

Weekly Winners, A Hidden Place where Time Stood Still

This week I want to take you with me

inside

the béguinage of Antwerp.

It's another very quiet hidden place,

right in the middle of a busy city.
I don't think many people can find it,
I had never been there before last week either.

There are some very old statues in the garden,


a tiny chapel,

and walls covered with old plaques,
giving thanks for wishes and prayers that got forfilled ...

It's a place of peace, prayer and thought.

Did you know, there's even a Madonna hidden in that chimney?
Neither did I, I read it while doing some reasearch afterwards.
Next time I'll try to zoom in on that chimney much closer.

Anyway, this picture already gives you some idea ...
If you click on it, it will enlarge and then you can see it even better.

This is another Madonna, I love how time has chipped it a little.

It's a place where time has stood still.


There are more Weekly Winners to be visited
at the homeblog of Weekly Winners,
the one and only Sarcastic Mom.

See you next week! Bye!