Interior happiness

Hi there,

Are you enjoying summer? Or is it too cold or too hot in your country?

In our gray rainy Belgium, it is extremely hot and super dry right now.

What’s good about summer and about warmth: it makes you a little lazy. You start living at a slower pace. What I love most is reading outdoors, not having to stop because the clock says so. And now I suddenly have to think about the silly scene of Little Britain “Computer says no.” Ever seen this? Well, it just makes me laugh, always.

Yes you must think my brain makes funny jumps. Well, it might be the heat 😉

I have two tips for you.

A refreshing homemade lemonade. You can make it with the ingredients you like, but this is my recipe:

• a little berry grenadine on the bottom
• big ice cubes
• fresh cut ginger – makes it a little spicy but I love the combination of sweet-spicy
• fresh lemon
• mint
• light sparkling water
• fresh berries

With the sun shining non-stop, I do need something to cover my head when I have to go outside. And no more hats to be found! Where did I leave the last one? So I bought a new, pretty cheap one, but it fit well. And I bought a few ribbons at a fabric shop.

Every day, I can just choose the ribbon that matches my outfit.

Summer is also a time of reflection. So I share this poem with you, from a South-African poet, Ingrid Jonker. There is a beautiful movie about her: “Black Butterflies“.

Begin Summer

Begin summer and the sea
a cracked-open quince
the sky like a child’s
balloon
far above the water
Under the umbrellas
like stripy sugarsticks
ants of people
and the gay laugh of the bay
has teeth of gold

Child with the yellow bucket
and the forgotten pigtail
your mouth surely is a little bell
tiny tongue for a clapper
You play in the sun all day
like a ukulele

Enjoy summer!

Sophia

Hi there,

Also enjoying summer in your country?

We are blessed with wonderful temperatures. This week I – finally, before I had too much work for my photography and creative writing courses 😉 – made some time to invite my tennis friends for my birthday.

Staying in the spirit of my last holidays, I decided to make Mojitos (the Cuban way) combined with Italian antipasti.

For the table decoration I made a pine-apple vase and filled it with fresh flowers from the yard. Carve out the center of the pineapple, place an appropriate sized glass with water in there, and fill it up with the flowers.

And then the cocktails: Sugar, ice cubes, a lot of fresh mint, lemon, sparkling water and Cuban rum. I mixed the ice cubes together with the mint in the Thermomix.


As antipasti I made: grilled veggies combined with Puglian burrata and topped with good olive oil, some bruschetta with oil, garlic, tomatoes, and Italian ham. And as a late night snack, I served some small homemade pizzas.

We sat outside till midnight. Food, friends, summer ànd cocktails. What else?

Have a great weekend!

Hello Everyone,

What are you up to this weekend? If you happen to be living in Belgium and interested in photography, I have an idea 😉

This weekend it is exhibition time! At the Academy where I follow photography, at the end of each year, you get the chance to display what you have been working on.

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

Ansel Adams

I already told you what the assignments for this year were.

They were all a challenge to me. I changed my mind several times on what to do for each subject.

Animals – see picture on top – were tough. It took me some time to find an original point-of-view. I am happy I decided on putting them in a kind of still life.

I already decided quickly on which piece of art I wanted as example: Girl with the Pearl Earring, from Johannes Vermeer. But making the copy was quite a challenge too.

If you want to see my other photos and what the other students made, you are very welcome to visit the exhibition at the Academy,  ABK Mol.

Have a great weekend, Sophie

PS: I will certainly be there on Saturday 16h-20h and Sunday 13h30-17h30

Oh this was fun!

A few weeks ago Daughter and I, together with my niece Rachel and her mom – my sister – took a workshop on arm knitting.

It took place in Louvain, this beautiful university city in Belgium. Daughter and I first walked over the antique annex flea market (you know how I love this).

The workshop was organized by Renate in the beautiful interior store of Plek. Renate can be reached through her site Allerwarmst.

We did need a lot of help in the beginning. It was a bit of a struggle, setting up the loops (these things you put first on your needle). And also the knitting itself felt a bit strange, since your arm is narrow at the wrist but wider around your elbow, which is very different from a real needle where the width is the same overall. The wool is merino wool and feels so soft and comfortable!

During the hard work, we were spoiled by a delicious piece of carrot cake and cappuccino.

I was a bit afraid the result would be too irregular, but no! I have got a beautiful, warm woolen blanket.

This is also – as the high tea last post! – a fun idea to do with friends, or an ideal gift!

English version below

Goeiemorgen allemaal,

Iets meer dan een maand geleden startte Yvonne – blogger, interieurarchitect, kok en zoveel meer – haar shop annex tearoom hier in Lommel: de Yvestownshop. Intussen ben ik vaste klant en elke keer stap ik vrolijk terug naar buiten.

Al ooit een High Tea geproefd? Ik wel! Gisteren, bij Yvonne. Het was heerlijk! Ik was al lang fan van haar versgebakken scones, maar nu was het aanbod nog veel groter. Alle lekkernijen vers gemaakt en prachtig geserveerd. Ik zou alles kunnen opsommen – nee, dat kan ik niet ;-), ben de helft intussen vergeten, zo uitgebreid was het – maar check gewoon even Yvonne’s blog en geniet van mijn foto’s hieronder.

We hebben een heerlijk zonnig weekend voor de boeg. Wat zijn jullie plannen? Ik vertrek zo dadelijk terug naar de Yvestownshop, voor de garageverkoop. Zie ik jullie daar?

Ciao, Sophie

The High Tea started with the most delicious cocktail – it had a bit of gin yes 🙂

Hi Everyone,

Enjoying the good life this weekend?

Did you ever try a High Tea? I just did, yesterday.

I met Yvonne – her blog is named Yvestown – about a month ago, and it feels like I’ve known her so much longer.  She is such a energetic, creative and warm person.

Yvonne started a concept store where you can buy the best teas, original gifts, party stuff and much more. It is also the most cozy place to just sit, where you can enjoy tea, coffee, all kinds of lemonades and tasteful food. She bakes the most delicious cupcakes, scones, bread… So yesterday we – me and two friends I hadn’t seen for too long – devoured this delicious High Tea. I cannot sum up everything Yvonne served, too much, but just check her blog. Or, even better, you should just try for yourself.

It is such a pleasant experience, and served in a decorative way, with all this pretty and colorful old china.

Have a great weekend! Sophie