Goodbye November

Somewhere between studying for my Dutch lesson and getting ready for my brother's visit from Greece, November has gone and Christmas mood has arrived in our house. :)

It was a great month and from the first week of December, I can tell it’s going to be a very special one too! The weather is getting colder and colder. It was also snowing a little bit on Friday, but Dutch don´t acknowledge this white fluffy things falling from the sky as real snow! So I guess I´ll wait a little while till I get to see the dutch snow in Utrecht.
The past week despite the really windy day, Sinterklaas passed by our house and left some pepernoten en chocoladeletters! For those not familiar with the three Dutch words in the last sentence, please check this post.

Among other interesting things, including baking a lot, celebrating our parish feast, getting to know new extraordinary people better, visiting new areas in the Netherlands and Belgium and meeting super cute babies, last month I had the joy of attending a Creative mornings talk in de Ruimte,Utrecht, where I met new interesting people while eating yummy breakfast together. 

 The speaker was Stephen Hay who enlightened us with a really nice talk about bravery and getting out of your comfort zone. Thank you Stephen!
Memorable quotes of the morning: 

"Pareto was right, 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. (referring to the 80/20 principle)

"Stop making excuses. Make art."

Creative Mornings Utrecht

"Have fun! Keep learning."

December's Creative Mornings theme is make, but unfortunately there will be no talk in Utrecht. 

Maybe I should apply and talk about our Double Crochets project.... just kidding.

Speaking of Double Crochets, my sister Marietta, who continues our blog and brand, back in Greece, had a very nice interview where she talks about her experiences, being part of Double Crochets and where does she gets inspiration for all her beautiful creations. (If you don’t read Greek, try using google translate.) When the question was why she is now alone, there came an answer which I love:

-You started out as 2 , but from what I understand , you are left alone. Was there redefining of objectives?

-Yes we started together, but I was not exactly left on my own! In fact from two we became four, as we both got married this past summer. 
My sister moved to the Netherlands and I moved to Halkida, which inevitably brought redefining in many things including objectives.
 The [.....] it was not easy and we really miss each other. Marietta, Double Crochets

Meanwhile we had a weekend visit to Gent where we celebrated Saint Andreas feast. A walk through this beautiful city led us in a pub eating Belgian broccoli soup with brown bread. 

I can't even start talking about the Belgian beers!  In one of the streets we stumbled upon a vintage toy shop (the collage in the beginning of the post), with so many special old toys. Unfortunately it was already closed when we found it, but next time, I'll know where it is.

Christmas gifts and crafting go hand in hand, I’m now preparing some sweet Christmas gifts, packages and cards for friends and family all around the world. :) Last week my mum pinned a cute crocheted star on pinterest which gave me the idea to create some mini crocheted gifts. 

The first one was already given as a gift along with a bottle of my new favourite Belgian beer.

There are more and different crocheted or not, gifts to come! 

Also it's been so long since I last crocheted!! I didn't realise how much I miss and love it!!
If you are also interested in making this cute crocheted star you can find the pattern here.

For some inspiration for Christmas gifts and ideas for crafts do come for a visit at my pinterest Christmas board.

And how about you, how are you getting ready for Christmas? 

f(our) months

Through the past months so many changes, so many happy moments.
From our little apartment in the center of Utrecht, life seems magical!
We got busy arranging our square meters of happiness with little pretty details here and there.

I started learning Dutch ,en nu ik spreek een beetje Nederlands. 

Also I visited some places in this beautifull country and yes
I like it more and more. Somehow four months have already passed by,
four months full of love!

F(our) months! 

A new life, a new house, love all arround.
July in Netherlands found us with, what seemed like, millions of wedding congratulation cards. I never knew there could be so many different types, wishes, poems, drawings for a wedding card!
August and a visit to a nice cottage brought us some basilicum to decorate our own "garden" by the window.
September was full of Greece, as the wedding of my sister was the wedding of the decade! Love, laughter, rock 'n' roll, dance and happiness! Also September was the month that babies were arriving everywhere in Greece and in the Netherlands!
October had birthday parties, autumn leaves, visits to museums, hot chocolate, warm bed covers, morning tea, pompoens, pears and quinces. And of cource autumn is here and it's time for crafting and crocheting again.
And now November is a day away, with a weather so nice and autumni!
These are my first months in the Netherlands. Lovely and precious months.
Months that are, so far, the happier in my life.

So did you know that months in Dutch
are not written with a capital letter?

They are called maanden and they are easy
to recognise if you speak english,
here they are:

januari, februari, maart, april, mei,
juni, juli, augustus,
september, oktober, november
and december.





How were your past months?
How are the months called in your language?

Hope you are also enjoing life wherever you are!

big hug,

Panagiota

Here is a really nice reading in Dutch about the months: Een jaar heeft 12 maanden.

Summer komkommer

Hello!

This blog will follow my life in the country where tulips are called tulpen, beer is bier and cucumber is komkommer! :)I'm a greek lady, a teacher, a crocheter, a singer, a christian,
 a wife, a sister, a daughter, a dreamer and much more! 

I found myself moving from my country to my husband's country, 

within "something less than" a year! :)

When i first arrived in the Netherlands I kind of expected it, that it would be not the easiest thing for me to adapt.

hem en mij

This is my new blog, summer komkommer.

Καλωσήρθατε! Welcome! Welkom!

Panagiota 

p.s 

maybe someone knows me and my sister from our blog doublecrochets.blogspot 
which, for some (long) time now, she handles so perfectly on her own, since I've been quite busy. 
If you are interested in crafts, art, love and crochet then do come for a visit!