Sew Psyched
Posted: April 21, 2011 Filed under: Beauty | Tags: beauty, Essie, nail polish, Sew Psyched Leave a comment »New favorite Essie color: Sew Psyched.
En Route: JFK-LAS
Posted: April 20, 2011 Filed under: Photography | Tags: En Route, JFK, LAS, nature, USA Leave a comment »
The Irony Of Bottled Water
Posted: April 18, 2011 Filed under: Current Events | Tags: bottled water, environment, Fresh Direct, New York City, tap water 4 Comments »Tap water tastes different in each country and it took me a while to get used to New York City tap water. Fresh Direct happily delivered big bottles of Poland Spring water. Oh, and of course trays of little sports bottles, for on the way. Imagine having to pay $2 for a little bottle in the park, that’s a rip off!
WAIT… A rip off? I was already being ripped off, big time. Why would we pay for something we can get for free at home, without harming the environment? It’s called marketing. So let me share a little marketing with you, about the irony of bottled water.
Check out this video. It’s quick and well worth watching.
Spring In The Village
Posted: April 14, 2011 Filed under: Photography | Tags: Abingdon Square Park, blossom, New York City, photography, spring, The Village Leave a comment »Spring has sprung in the Village! Who doesn’t love the blossom trees…
Sixth Avenue and West Houston Street
Charles Street at Bleecker Street
Abingdon Square Park, between West 12th Street and Bank Street
Dancing Eggs
Posted: April 12, 2011 Filed under: Toys & Games | Tags: Dancing Eggs, Easter, Games, Germany, Haba 1 Comment »Are you looking for something fun to do on Easter Sunday? Get Haba‘s Dancing Eggs!
Run around the table with an egg between your knees or under your chin… Just don’t drop it! And be aware of the egg thieves.
This game is so much fun for the whole family. Yesterday, we played it for the first time, and we were all cracking up. I’m sure we will still be playing this game come Christmas.
Those European Girls
Posted: April 6, 2011 Filed under: Memoirs | Tags: European Girls, Green Card, permanent resident card, President Obama, The Netherlands, USA, USCIS 12 Comments »When my husband told a colleague I would move to New York to live with him, his wife warned him.
“You have to be careful. Don’t you know how they are, those European girls? They move in with you and get pregnant right away. All they want is a baby and a Green Card.”
Well, I got it all. The baby was born nine months after I had moved. And this week, the USCIS sent me the permanent resident card, better known as the Green Card. After sending them another cheque, and more proof I didn’t just pay my husband to get married, my status was finally changed from conditional to permanent resident.
Unlike the baby, the Green Card has taken us many hours, filling out dozens of forms. We went in for interviews – Can you tell me your husband’s date of birth? – Can you show me photos of the wedding? And every time I came back from visiting The Netherlands, they took my passport and brought Mia and me into the immigration office at the airport, where I would spend hours waiting and answering questions – So back then you came in as a tourist and all of a sudden you decided to get married? Why didn’t you bring this form? I won’t be able to let you in without it, etc.
Now, I will finally be treated as a citizen. Should I start eating bagels with cream cheese for breakfast? Blow dry my hair straight? Upgrade my engagement ring (because it hurts my finger)? Not open presents until all guests have left? Nah… I only wish I could vote now. This week, President Obama started his campaign for re-election. I hope you are IN.
The Voice
Posted: April 4, 2011 Filed under: Music | Tags: Adam Levine, American Idol, Ben Saunders, Blake Shelton, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, NBC, talent shows, television, The Voice, The Voice of Holland Leave a comment »I’m not a big fan of the television, unless it helps me to distract the girls for a bit. Some shows I do actually like, I just forget when they’re on. Not gonna happen this time. I am counting the days until April 26th. That’s when the American version of my favorite Dutch show premieres on NBC: “The Voice“. Another talent show… But this time it’s different. Really!
It’s a vocal competition featuring four musician coaches, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine. The first stage of the show is called the blind auditions, where the coaches are turned with their backs to the contestant. If they want “the voice” on their team, they hit the button to turn around. If more than one coach turns around, the power shifts to the contestant, who will then get to choose which coach they want to work with throughout the competition. The second stage in the competition is called the battle, where each coach has the members of his team battle each other. Only four per team remain and will compete with each other during the final stage, the live shows.
Unlike American Idol and other talent shows, these contestants are not new to the industry. Most have been performing for a while, play instruments, and write their own songs. Together with their coach, the contestants pick the songs to perform on the show that suit them best. To make it to the top, the coaches help them grow by providing feedback. For some it may be a singing or dancing coach, for others a makeover.
To get you excited, here is the blind audition of Ben Saunders, who ended up winning The Voice of Holland. You will get the context when he starts to sing, even without subtitles.
Enjoy the show!
Gray Label
Posted: April 1, 2011 Filed under: Apparel | Tags: Amsterdam, Apparel, Emily Gray, Gray Label, The Netherlands 1 Comment »My friend from Amsterdam, Emily Gray, recently launched her collection for babies and kids aged zero to six, Gray Label. “We like simplicity in a world where there are already too many bright colours, ‘cute’ teddies and busy prints on shirts. Focusing instead on colours and designs that would even make grownups a bit envious.” I like!
My first order just arrived, pink sweaters for the girls and shoes for the baby. The fabric she uses is so very soft, the girls love wearing their new duds. Here’s our modElle:
