Day # 365...2009 has gone forever!!

So it’s january 1st 2010!!! I hope everyone had a great newyears eve, cause we really had a blast and stayed up till the wee hours! We went to bed around 4/4.30 this morning and didn’t came out untill 2PM-ish :) It was a great night, but well a new year has knocked on our doors!

I’m here to show off my last photo of the year, my last photo for my Project 365 – 2009! I showed you a little preview yesterday of what was coming... well here we go!

Around 23.30 we lighted the first flying latern... it didn’t went really good, cause it was a little too windy and ended up in one of the trees at the end of the street! But it looked beautiful either way! LOL We all just hoped that the tree wouldn’t catch the fire...yikes, but gladly it didn’t! Here we go... My guy lighting the first latern, right after he made his first wish...

And... Since the wind was still blowing when he lit the second one, he waited till the wind layed for a minute and it worked!!! Right after a small struggle of finding his way up in the air... of it went! So here’s my photo for Day # 365... flying up in the sky! It was such a cool thing to see and we saw it flying off for a few minutes...

I also took some more photos of fireworks. Last year I used my tripod and decided to try it this time without... and I love it! There were a lot that weren’t good though, but these are my favorites...

Well, again I’ve decided this isn’t the end. I really want to do a final wrap-up post and higlight some of the things & photos which really meant a lot for me! Not sure when I will be back, but it will be before Wednesday, when I have to get back to work... Yeah I’ve got 4 more days off of work!!!     -hugs-

Day # 363 & 364... The LAST day is here!

OMG, I can’t believe this wonderful project is over... well almost!! I haven’t taken my photo for today yet. I did take a photo, but it’s just a little preview of what’s coming tonight...well make that tomorrow! I’m not going to be home tonight, cause we’re celebrating at my parents’... I so can’t wait for 2010!!

A new adventure and a new round, starting project 52! I can say I’m a bit excited to start with it... but on the other hand I’m a bit emotional (and don’t ask me why!! LOL) about closing this project 365! It’s been a fun year and I’m so glad I took the plunge and started this. I mean, who knew I WAS going to finish this?? Well not me anyway! I had hopes, but...well all I can say is that I’m sooo proud at myself for keeping up and I finished ‘PROJECT 365’

This isn’t a goodbye, cause I will be back tomorrow and I really hope that some of my followers (especially my mom & dad) will make their way over to my new blog: ‘Round II, Project52’

Now let me show you those pics from the last couple of days!

Day # 363, I took this photo of all the Christmas/Newyear cards we received... There are two special cards there. Well for me they are. I recieved a card from two online friends and I so love the fact they’d send me one. It just felt really special... Knowing I’ve got friends all over the world!!

Day # 364, Remember I made my mom a weekly planner?? Well I finished mine too! it’s not completely finished, cause it’s missing some photos and more flowers. But the front and back are done and I love how it turned out! Here it is:

Day # 365, Sorry... you’ll have to wait for the real photo!!! But I am going to show you a little preview...

On my guy’s 30th Birthday I gave him 4 of these flying laterns. But since it was raining and both the day we had the party & on his birthday...we kept them. The plan was he could lit three of them, one for each of the 10 years of his life.. and with each of those he could make a wish. The 4th one was for the both of us, to make a wish together and just celebrate the life we have!

The plan is to light them up tonight and my guy can still have his three wishes! I really want to light up the 4th one together, right after OO.OO o’ clock and make us a wish for 2010!

When a new year start we always say: ‘this is going to be our year’... but to be honest I never felt that way! For 2010 I’ve been having great feelings. I’m not saying our life isn’t good at al..but I know & feel it can be way better!

*sigh* writing this down, makes me a bit emotional....

So...Now, let’s just get ready for the new year!!! I want to wish each & everyone of you a beautiful 2010, with lots of love, health, happiness & joy. And of course I hope you’ll make it a year full of photos & memories for all your loved ones! May 2010 be one of the best years so far!!!!

Lots of Love,

Petra

Day # 359 – 362: Christmas & new stuff!

So did you all have a wonderful Christmas?? I know we did..it was so fun and great to spend such precious time with our family!

On Christmas day we went to my aunt & uncle for a big Christmas diner with my mom’s side of the family. Like I told you before it’s been 4 years since we last celebrated it together...so this was great! We have a 4 course diner, with lots of yummy things to choose from... I thought it would be fun, to take a photo of the family. So I brought my tripod and remote control and here’s our family pic.

Although we’re  missing some people on this photo: my sweet aunt Joke, who was sick. My uncle Gert & his GF and his sons with their families, my mom’s two sisters from the states: Carla & Gerda and their families (uncles, kids & grandkids) We missed them all, but it was still a great night...

We also took lots more photos, but just a few I like... here are my aunt Wilma (left) and my aunt Thea, preparing the main course with salmon, veal & lots more goodies...

And one I really, really love... from top to bottom...it’s my brother’s GF Kiki , Me, my cousin Annika, my cousin Jody & our cousin Yvette... It was a long time ago, all of us together in a photo and I love it! :)

On the 2nd Christmas day... Let me explain this 2nd Christmas day first! LOL here in Holland we have Christmas eve en then 1st & 2nd Christmas day....which is pretty weird in my eyes. I always thought Christmas came from the states and well they only have Christmas eve & day. I really can’t figure out why we have two..but on one hand it’s great, cause we always have two days off! LOL...so to be honest, I can’t really explain why we have two!! :)

Anyways we spend this evening at my parents’ house with my aunt, uncle, cousin Robin, grandma, my parents and the two of us. We had a nice diner and the first course was salmon for the lovers...but my uncle & I don’t like it...so I made us something else. Smoked chicken with a Petra-made dressing..it was soo good!

My aunt made these cute fishes out of pastry...so cute!! :)

On Sunday we had a relaxing, well cleaning day. My parents came over for a bit to check out it Christmas tree... finally! Hehe, just had to say it mom! :) it was fun... afterwards we cleaned the house. But I still haven’t took a photo of my new hair...so decided to dress-up a bit and out on make-up and here I am... my new haircut!

It isn’t the best photo though! LOL. Anyways they’ve cut off 35 cm off of my hair and I love it. The front is a little longer then the back. The back is a bob-line. Like I said I love it, the only thing is that I have to style (blow-dry) it everyday for it to look a bit good! And well, to be honest... that isn’t my thing! LOL

Yesterday I had to get back to work... yeah after a full week of relaxing and enjoying our time of together, real live was back! I had some trouble getting up, but it was ok. After work I needed to drop of some books at the library, which were two weeks late... yikes! Then I decided to go to the little mall there and guess what??

I BOUGHT A NEW WINTER JACKET!!!!!! And I really, really love it! Last Thursday I went to the big mall in Utrecht and walked there for 4 hours. I tried on soo many jackets, which were not quite it. I was a little depressed when I got back home that day, cause I sooo needed a new winter-jacket. Well today I walked in to this store and there it was!! I tried it on and loved it right away... I didn’t thought about it and just bought it!!! I’m sooo happy with it, wanna see?

I love the grey and the (fake) fur in the hood is so cute and warm. And well, it was on sale! :) I looooove it!!

So Today it’s Tuesday the 29th... Only 3 more days left to this project! I haven’t got a photo for today yet. I was thinking about my last photo for day # 365. I just want to go with a BANG, but haven’t got the slightest clue yet. But I’m sure it will pop in one of these days.. I hope!

Now people, all I can say is enjoy your day and the last couple of days of this project and will see you here on the 31st!!! –hugs- 

Day # 355 – 358: Merry Christmas!!

yeaah it’s Christmas!! I want to wish everyone a merry christmas, spend with family & loved ones!!

We’re going to my aunt & uncle (my mom’s brother) this afternoon and will celebrate Christmas with my moms’ side of the family. There will be 20 people and it’s not even the whole family! This kind of was a last minute thing and some family already had plans. The last time we celebrated Christmas together was when my GM was still alive. She passed away in March 2006 and we haven’t celebrated Christmas together ever since, so that’s 4 years ago. We do have our yearly family day in June, which is always fun! I really look forward to this afternoon and I’m sure it’s going to be great!!!

Now on to my photos from last week...

Monday, my guy and I went to this beautiful hotel somewhere in the forrest in Roermond. Before we went there, we first went to this big outlet center....We both have/had this week and needed some sweet time together! So I booked this hotelroom, wich was great! Turned out it was a honeymoon room! LOL When we got in the room, the whole suite was filled with rose leaves...

After we checked out the room, we went to the city to have diner.. well we totally forgot that most of the restaurants are closed on Monday’s! Yikes... so we drove to Venlo and went to the casino. We decided to have diner there. The casino was beautiful and guess what... my guy gave me some money after we had diner and said: well you only need one 10 euro paper. Mmm what?? Well I went on the first machine and well, he was right!! I won 250 euros right away! he also won another 50 euros later on. How awsome is that?? :) Here’s the casino by night!

When we got back to the hotel, I loved the light there...and with all the snow there, it looked pretty! 

After a nice breakfast in the hotel, we packed our stuff and went to this ice-sculpture festival.

It was so beautiful, but within 15 minutes we were already outside again!! But wow, what a work! The sculptures were amazing and so well cut! here’s the hunchback of the notre dame.. all sculptures were from classic stories...>> Gullivers travels, see all those tiny figures all over him? :) it was pretty hard thought to get a good photos os these shiny objects! And here’s Frankenstein>>

  My photo for Tuesday, is one of us!!! Yeaaah! I’m not sure, but I think this is the first photo this year of the two of us for my project 365... it’s a shame, isn’t it??!! LOL Here we are..my photo for day # 356, my sweetheart & I :)

On wednesday I went ice-skating with our nephew Aatik and two kids of Abdel’s cousin: Laila & Faris. It was fun and it was Aatik’s first time ice-skating! He loved it!! But it was kind of hard... Luckily there were these metal bar things, he could use. Look at that smile on his face...

Of course I took a photo of the three of them... for Day # 357

Yesterday I took a photo of my new sneakers. I bought these at the big outlet center in Roermond on Monday and I love them! I wanted such sneakers for a while, but never found cute ones. Well I did now and love these colors...

Those were my photos from last week... haven’t shot a photo for today yet, but I’m sure I’ll take lots of photos later on, during our fancy Christmas diner! :) Tomorrow we’re having a diner with my parents, grandma and uncle, aunt & cousin...

Oh yeah... I’ve made a decision about wether to continue with ‘project 365’ next year. I’m not going to... but... I decided to go with a ‘project 52’ of my own!  I'm going to highlight one photo or subject for every week, wich really meant something to me. It can be anything! But of course I'm going to share more photos & stories, then just the one from my weekly highlight. I already made a new blog, wich you can chekc out here: ‘Round two, project 52’

Also since I’m not going with project 365, I decided to make a fresh start with a scrapping blog. I had one, but kind of neglected it when I started ‘365’...so a fresh start ad a fresh new blog of course! You can find it here: ‘Past & Present scrapping’

Well peeps, enjoy your Chrismtas and will see you soon! –hugs-

Day # 351-354: Let it snow, let is snow…

Our sweet little country is filled with a tick layer of snow. I started snowing on Thursday and the traffic was chaos around here. Today it’s still snowing, I mean we’re in Holland here… have we ever seen so much snow in a few days of time! Well, I can’t remember anyway! It is nature at it’s finest! I love snow, although I don’t really like the cold though! LOL Anyways beware cause there are a few snowy pics coming your way! :)

Thursday, I had an appointment at this beauty salon 30 mins. from here, but decided to go anyways. I was glad I did… On my drive over there I stopped at this road, wich had all these trees along the side and loved the look of it. I took this shot and really love the trees here! :)

Ok hold on… I thought this was the first time it snowed this year, but all of the sudden I remember we DID had snow, early this year! It was on day # 7 :)

On Friday I worked again, after being sick since Sunday. I do feel tons better now, although the past couple of these have been cold and still not fully recovered. Anyways…my colleague brought her little boy to work. He usually goes to his GM, but she fell and bruised her hip… so nothing else to do, then brining him to work. He is so cute, but a little naughty too. He loved the snow and I loved his adorable cute cap!!! Don’t you?? Well he just IS cute in every way… those big brown eyes and that sweet face!

Since Saturday I’ve got a new morning ritual. The girl I went to for a beauty treatment on Thursday advised me to clean my face better. My skin is pretty ok, but she said it could be even better! So I bought some new facial products from the same line. I love HEMA!!! LOL I bought: day facial cream, night facial cream, smooth cleansing tonic, cleansing milk, facial mask & scrub cream. I don’t have to use it all everyday, but somehow I can slightly see the difference already! LOL Let me introduce my new facial products:

Oh yeah, before I forget!!! I went to the hair dresser yesterday and she has cut off at LEAST 30 cm off of my hair and I love it!!! My guy was a bit shocked at first, but he also loves it. I wanted to take a photo, but haven’t shot any yet. So will do that somewhere this week. cause we’ve got enough time!!! We’ve got this week OFF OF WORK!!!! The both of us!!!!! Yoohoo!!!! :)

Now Today, Day # 354. When I woke up it was still snowing, i should I say…it was snowing again! LOL And everything was white. When we were going to make breakfast we saw the balcony was filled with beautiful fresh snow. I decided to take a ruler and place it in the snow…well be both guessed it right! We thought it was about 20 cm. The be exact it was 21!!! Can you believer that. 21 cm of snow, here, in holland, in december!! If all goes right, we might even have a white Christmas. The last time we had a white Christmas… I wasn’t even born yet!!! Although I was in my mommy’s tummy!! LOL. It was the Christmas of ~ 1981 ~ So I really hope we’ll get it! Anyways here’s the ruler in the snow on our balcony! Although it’s probably a bit more by now. Hold on… I’ll check real quick!  Yup it’s 24 cm right now!!

Well I think that’s it for today… My guy just got home with some pizza’s. They didn’t deliver because of the slippery roads, so he picked them up…

Tomorrow we’re going away for a day. First we’re going to this big outlet mall in Roermond and there’s also this ice-sculpture festival. Around 4 PM we can check-in in a hotel. I booked a night away in this romantic hotel with a jacuzzi. Then we’ll have diner somewhere and we might go to this christmas fair thing. In the morning after we had breakfast in the hotel, we’re going sight-seeing Roermond… I so look forward to this and I’m sure it’s going to be great!! Will see you all before Christmas! –xxx-

Day # 346 – 350: Cold Christmas

First of it’s pretty cold the past couple of days and on top of that… I really got a nasty cold/flu thing. It started last week and just didn’t felt too good, but was doing ok…untill Sunday night. It got through with: headache, sore throat, ear aches & a snotty nose. I just felt awful… When I woke up on Monday it was even worse and called in sick. Tuesday was my day of and also called in sick for today. I’m doing much better now, due to nosal spray, para-cetamols & vitiamins boms… But still not my old self!

Anyways, enough whining let’s get on with the photos. First of Saturday.. I had this 18th birthday party shoot at a very nice loaction. The place was beautiful and the decorations were amazing. In the front hall there was this pretty Santa and the surroundings were perfect!

Remember.. X, marks the spot! Well the tree is gone and to be honest it’s kind of bad. I think it was much prettier with the tree still there…but no way back now, right?? I took this photo from our window, since I was sick and it was way too cold! LOL 

On Monday, I was completely exhausted and just felt awful. All I did was sit, lay down, sit, lay down & sit again… Oh yeah while blowing my nose, using nosal spray and taking paracetamols!

Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck… did I say YUCK already??

On Tuesday I finally finished our Christmas tree.. I started on Sunday, but it just didn’t work! I really, really love how it turned out. It’s got lime, white & silver balls with white snowflakes, silver stars and 2 silver butterflies. At night I decided to take some photos… so grabbed my tripod, remote, my camera & 50mm f/1.8 lens. before I’m going to show you my pics, I want to share some tips about photographing your Christmas tree…

Here they are:

1.) Use a tripod (or beanbag), for a steady shot   2.) Use a low aperture (between f/1.8-16) or a long shutter speed, to make the lights  sparkle!  3.) Taking a photo when it's not too dark gives your lights the best glow!  4.) Use a remote (if you have one) or use the camera's self timer.

Now let me show you our tree… I took this shot with the following setting: 100 ISO – 24MM – f/14, using my 50mm f/1.8 lens.. and see how pretty those lights sparkle?? I love it!

Then I remebered this fun DIY project about making your own bokeh. It is so cool… I made two thin cardboard lens covers, one with a heart & one with a star. isn’t this the cutest you’ve ever seen??? I’m in love with this simple little diy cover, it rocks!

With hearts…

With stars…   

if you want to try this, you can check out the bokeh DIY project right here: http://www.diyphotography.net/diy_create_your_own_bokeh

Oh and while we’re still on the Christmas tree subject, let me tell you about this challenge. I’m hosting a fun ‘show us your Christmas tree’ challenge at after five designs. This morning while wanting to show everyone my tree and the fun I had with taking photos. I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to make it a challenge and so I did. I asked the fab designers at A5D if they would sponsor and they said yes! So far we have 4 prizes, wich means 4 winners. But I’m sure there’s more to come!!! Check it out!!!

Now on to the photo from today… This morning I thought it would be fun to make another photo of the tree, but with daylight and it’s a close-up. But I have to say, I love the one from last night more!! :) Anyways, here it is… see the sparkles??

Now this is it for today. I will be back prob. this weekend! Tata –x-

Day # 342-345: introducing…

So it’s already Saturday instead of the Thursday I said I would be back… but I’m here now! Still short on time… but well that’s life!

Let’s start this off with introducing the little baby boy Tigho. He’s my colleagues’ son and we had a fun shoot this Tuesday… He was fine, but we really had to make comfortable in every way. To be honest, I like some of the photos..but my expectations were a bit higher. We already decided to do it again, but not sure when. On one hand it seemed like he was too old already for a newborn shoot and too young for a normal baby shoot… anyways, first off my photo for the day and a few others I liked. Some of these were edited with some fab textures & overlays… but also loving my photoshop CS4 and Sara’s stunning actions… little red hair

Then on to day # 343, wednesday dec. 9th. Last week I ordered this cute elf hat from JJ – Lily designs. She made these cute hats for scrapbooking kits and for her pretty lil girl of course and now she decided to seel them. They are the cutest and I really had to have this one: ‘Violet bell elf hat’. And it only cost my $20 including shipping from the USA. If you want one, hurry cause there are only a few left!

Thursday afternoon I had a little shoot for a christmas present.  A friend wants to print this photo on canvas… it was fun, although the little Diego didn’t felt like laughing… well he did, when the camera was gone out of his face!! Little rascal. But this photo turned out pretty ok, right? She wants black & white, so…

On Thursday we filled in some paper for a new house project. They’re going to start building jan. 2010 and we were interested. Friday during my break I went to drop this off at the real estate office and when I got home, I took this photo… it’s the groundplan for the project and some of the info books…

haven’t got a photo for today yet…I’ve got a 18th birthday party shoot tonight and will use one of those…or I’ll take a photo of the tree in front of our living room window, remember X-marks-the-spot…well it’s gone!! They took it down when we were at work yesterday and only noticed this morning. Well we’ll see!

Tomorrow I’m going to a friend, unless I still feel yucky like I do now. I’m coughing anf got a sote throat. If I’m not going, I think I’m going to finally… decorate our living room with christmas prettieness! :)

Now I’ve got to clean for a bit, take a shower & get some grocery’s… will see you all soon! –x-

Day # 338-341: Alert: Image heavy!!

Ok so the problem is fixed… I’m so happy to tell you I switched from ACDSee photo manager pro 2.5 to pro 3!!! I work as an evangelist for ACDSee and when I told them about the problem, they send me a the newest pro 3… I’m so happy with it, although I still need to get used to it, but it’s awsome!!! So I removed the old pro 2.5 wich caused the problem and all was good!!!

So here goes… I’m going to show you pics from the past couple of days. The title says image heavy and it will be! I want to show you some pics from our sinterklaar (st. nicolas) celebration we had on Friday the 4th. We all had to make surprise gifts and a poem wich was connected to things in peoples’ life and the possible gifts…inside those surpirse gifts were the real gifts hidden. It was so fun!

But the evening started a little different with a toast and I’m about to show you my photo for Day # 338. My sweet brother melvin and his GF Kiki bought a house. This day they got the key to their new house!! I’m sooo happy for them and of course we had to toast with some champagne!! Don’t they look happy??

After some buffet diner (mom & I made) we started with the gifts. My guy was the lucky one who got the first gift… Oh no, hold on… It was the little Quinn, my cousin’s little boy. It was getting late and the boy got tired, before we had diner he got a gift. We bought him this book and as you can see by the look on his face, he loved it! :)

 

Then let’s start with the surpise gifts… my guy got this boxing bag, since he started kick-boxing a few months ago and really wants one of these… well he got one, from cardboard anyway! LOL Inside there was a DVD from this comedian and a giftcard from a fab clothing store. Here it is:

My dad of course got the plane I made him… inside were hidden: a brown leather belt and some hot scrub from rituals

Next up: Kiki, she got the kitchen we made for her… inside were hidden: an Ikea giftcard, a bracelet & a beauty facial mask. 

Then it was my turn… I was so curious, since when I got it, it was sinde this washing box, cause it needed some protection. The poem was great, but surpirse gift was truly awsome. I got this house (since we’re looking to buy one) made out of pepper cake. The roof was made out of pepper cake too, with pepernoten & M&M’s stuck to it… It was so creative, I really ,really loved it! I decided to use this pick, so you could see the gifts were hidden under it… As gifts I got ‘jamie oliver’ flavour shaker & a chocolate fondue set… inclusive choclate, of course! LOL

My sweet mom got this vase, made out of cardboard covered with silver foil. Inside were a vase & some pretty purple earrings. 

Then it was my brothers’ turn… My dad bought this sweet 70’s doll house. He closed it off with a front & screws, so he needed an screwdriver to open it. isn’t this doll house cute??  Inside there were cd’s + covers, a book to read on the toilet (a toilet book, LOL) and some rituals bathshower…

My cousin BF Peter got a home-made bjorn borg boxer shorts, wich my mom had sewn. It was almost an excat copy, with the real tag in it. He got a wallet & some real bjorn borg boxershorts

My sweet cousin Sylvia got something fun… she recently started nurse school and she’s doing great. With the mexican flu and all my autn made her this… But before she got to unwrap the box, she needed to wear this nurse clothing, it was so fun! Inside the box was this big injection needle…. she got a few gifts along the way like: perfume, a calendar & a daycare diart for Quinn…

Last but not least, was my autn Yvonne… Kiki made her this ‘prison break’ box…A few months ago, Yvonne borrowed a dvd box from them and said she had returned it. Well after months it was still missing…one day she found it, I believe somewhere in the back of a closet. So this was also another fitting gift. But Kiki made her suffer and filed the whole thing with construction foam (can’t find the real translation) and it took her like 10 minutes (or more) to get all the gifts… As gifts she got: candles & a copuple more, but can’t remeber…

It was such a fun night and we shared a lot of laughs (& a few tiny tears)… I’m glad everyone loved the gifts, poems and surprises!

Now back to normal life… On saturday we went looking at Melvin & Kiki’s new house, since we haven’t saw it yet… This might be a weird photo, LOL. The house they bought needs a lot of work. They are going to place a new kitchen & bathroom. Since they’re also expanding the bathroom, they needed to look at the plumery. This old thing is going to be replaced with a whole new watering system wich is on the ceiling and on the floor of the new bathroom… Kind of a weird explanation too, but have no clue how to translate all those technically things with building and re-constructing a house…LOL

On Sunday we went over the help them out… I filled little holes in the walls & window frames and we also helped with smoothing all wooden things. here’s my guy smoothing out the doors of the bedroom… I love to see my guy at work! :) He can practice before we buy our own house! LOL

Yesterday… I found this at the floor this when coming at work…. little black paper cut hands & chocolate money :) 

Seemed like sinterklaas also visited work over the weekend. We all had to place our shoe in the break-room and well all of them were gone. Zwarte piet had secretly hidden all the shoes, all over the place! And it was quit the search to find my own shoe, wich was hidden in some shelves… here are some of the filled shoes. We got this little piggy bank and poem.

I also took my photo of the day for today…but need to edit some of them. I had the honor to photograph my colleagues’ little boy Tigho, who was born three weeks ago. he’s such a little cutie with his pretty red hair! :) I will be back on Thursday to share the pics! See you then!! –x-