Our family (my husband, my son & me) turnt 100 years together. Reason enough for a small party! We're having a lunch on Sunday for our friends and all the kids will have their own party (with DJ and some monitors) in the 'salão de festas' (the party room of the compound).

As you can imagine, preparartions are already in full bloom!

I went to the market this morning and bought some beautiful zinnias and dahlias.

The white flowers will go into 10 small round vases on the tables.

Of course I had to stock up on wine & champagne, and some more healthy items like grapes, strawberries, figs, goat cheese, stoneleeks, tomatoes & endives.

The tables will look fresh & colourful with these red & white dot table cloths and white & red dot napkins.

Are you curious how it will turn out in the end?

Then be sure to check back next week to see the results!!

Wishing you all a wonderful & sunny weekend!

Enjoy!!

Beijos, Chantal

After too many rich coffees, breakfasts, lunches, diners, BBQ's, etc. it's time for a healthier lifestyle. So I stocked up on fruits and filled the duck (my fruit basket) with it.
It looks so nice, colourful & healthy. It shouldn't be too difficult to live healthier...
(provided someone keeps the chocolate out of our house *smile*).

What are your secrets to stay healthy? I'd love to hear/read them!!

Have a healthy day!
Chantal

After a morning at the day care & community center in one om the slums of São Paulo (I work there as a volunteer), it's always nice to return to your own home. Spending some time with some less fortunate people helps you realize what a wonderful life we have... Our problems seem so little compared to theirs... And still, all the people I always meet there are extremely positive & optimistic. We, spoilt like hell, can take them as an example...
To all the less fortunate people around: these sunny flowers are for you! I admire you!!

Sorry for the absence... we've been taking advantage of the long weekends lately and left for the beach. We had a wonderful time in a wonderful part of Brazil: Angra dos Reis, 200 km south of Rio de Janeiro. My DH turned 50 last weekend, we celebrated this while enjoying the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

We visited marvellous little islands, saw a lot of beautiful fishes and enjoyed a lovely lunch at one of the beaches.

Of course, the holidays were over too quickly. Time to think about the next one...

Wishing you all a nice weekend & a Happy Mothers Day t0 all the moms!

Love, Chantal

Not much news to tell, so I leave you with some pictures of beautiful Brazil.

Enjoy your weekend!

I wish you all a wonderful & happy Easter!
Enjoy the spring-y weather
(it's lovely here, although we're heading towards fall already),
the blue skies, the yellow daffodils,
the family-time & all the chocolate eggs!
Back into the dieting-mode on Monday!
Have a lovely time!
XX Chantal

The days are just wonderful these last weeks/months. We're enjoying breakfast in the garden every day! A relaxing & fresh start of a busy day. A cup of coffee, some fresh fruits & this view of palm trees & blue skies: it makes me so happy!

One more day of school and then the (very short) Easter holiday starts. Nothing special planned, just being at home, relax, & enjoy this tranquil time of the year. What are your plans for Easter?

Enjoy your day!
Love, C.

There's a new cutie in the house...

Couldn't resist this pretty 'galinha de angola' (chicken from Angola). It's a little stool, but you can also use it as a little side table to put a cup of coffee or a glass of wine...

Off to do some baking now, it's my son's 10th birthday today! Time for cakes & muffins (to treat his friends and pro at tennis) and preparing the pancakes (he invited his peers who live in the compound to come over for dinner and pancakes it will be *smile*).

The party is planned for another day.

Take care & beijos,

C.

While it's been a nice & sunny day today, the clouds are appearing now and it starts raining. Time to think about our last holiday...

Good memories from our trip to the north-east of Brazil (Bahia) where we visited some friends and had a business event to atttend in Salvador.

Playing golf at the Iberostar Praia de Forte golf course: beautiful!!

Now it's time to do some more cooking & baking for the International Festival at my son's school tomorrow (I'm 'doing' the Dutch booth of course). Still a lot to do... so I'm off now!!

What are your weekend plans?

Love,

C.

The last post was # 100... I didn't even know!

And then I left you all for quite a long time, not even on purpose...

OK, I have been quite busy with a visit from friends, a trip to the north-east, but not busy enough to abandon blogging and abandon YOU!.

Anyway, as from post # 101 (this one) on, I promise to be a better blogger!!

I do have a little make over to show you today... After living in this house for a year and a half (with the idea of moving in December 2008), I didn't care for colour on the walls, just thought the plain white was fine (the previous house ánd the previous apartment were full of colour!). But, we're still here and whó knows how much longer (...) so I decided to give it a go with colour again... orange this time!!

Have a look at the result:

I'm happy with it, love the brightness in a pretty dark house!

I'm off to do some shopping now (it's my son's birthday next week, have an international day at my son's school which includes a lot of baking Dutch goodies of course), have a sunny day and 'talk' to you soon!!

Love,

C.