Struck by light

Sometimes when you least expect it, you can be in for a stroke of luck, or a beam of sunlight, to be precise. It not only makes you look in wonder at the beauty that you witness, but happy to be able to see it, and even capture it on camera. Especially when it is on one of those dark days when the clouds are thick, hardly any light shines through and you have to seek shelter for the rain several times..... Now you know that photo number one, was a lucky shot indeed! :-)

The girls and I loved Chatsworth. Every bit of it. When we passed the gate, saw the green parkland with it's old trees, the sheep walking leisurely on the road and the majestic house in the distance, we could hardly wait to park the car and walk around. What a lovely home the duke and duchess have.

My daughters wanted to see Pemberley, the house where the 2005 film by the book of Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice was filmed. I wanted to the see the home of the late duchess of Devonshire, Deborah Cavendish née Deborah Mitford, who passed away last year and whose life and that of her five sisters I find interesting..... and, ok I admit it. I wanted to see the lake where Colin Firth jumped into, in the 1995 BBC series with the same title. Guess what? It appeared to be at Lyme Park, not Chatsworth! Ha, ha,  I even had a book which said so. Serves me right. Should have taken more time to read it properly :-)

Overall we were not disappointed. My daughters even preferred it over Versailles, another grand house, because it's less crowded and you are able to see and enjoy the atmosphere more. It's absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. I don't want to go into details, but if you would like to know more about the history of the house, the garden and parkland or the interesting people who once lived here, please have a look at Chatsworth's website.


Something entirely different. I promised to announce the winner of my giveaway today. The book Wohnen mit Blumen, by Callwey publishers, goes to the UK, to Claire from the blog Thriftwood. Congratulations Claire! Would you be so kind as to mail me your address? Hope the others will have more luck next time.

Wishing you a good week! Enjoy!

Love,

Madelief x

Decorate with flowers

Hello!

After two weeks in the UK (the Peak District and North York moors) it feels good to be home again. The girls and I had a lovely time, visiting quaint villages, country houses and gardens. We made some beautiful walks across wild moorland, with far reaching views of the countryside. We felt privileged to be able to enjoy the beauty that Britain has to offer. Hope you had a good time too?! If you are still enjoying your summer holiday, have fun! In the coming months I will take you with me on our adventures.

In my last post I told you about the book Decorating with flowers or Wohnen mit Blumen by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring, which Callwey publishers kindly permitted me to giveaway. 

It's an absolutely beautiful book! It's colourful, pleasing to the eye and filled to the brim with creative ideas of how to display your flowers best, either home grown or shop bought. The book is a combination of modern and vintage style. It has for instance a chapter on flea market finds, whites and pastel and neon colours. If you would like to see some photo's, please have a look at the website of Callwey publishers.

The book inspired me to go into my garden and make this post for you. If you would like to participate in the draw, please say so in your comment. I have to tell you though that the book is in German. So please bear that in mind. Anyone can participate. The giveaway will end on Saturday the 15th of August. I will announce the winner in my next blogpost. 

Wishing you good luck and a lovely week ahead!

Love,

Madelief x

* Thank you for your sweet comments on my last blog post and suggestions on places to visit.
  

Dreamy spring days

Only two more days to go before my summer holiday starts. I am looking forward to spend some time with my daughters.

My two youngest daughters and I will be off to the UK soon. We rented a cottage near Bakewell in the Peak District and another near Thirsk on the North York moors.  If you have any suggestions of special places to visit, fun events, good antique centres or hip cafés, please let me know. They are very much welcome. 

Today's photo's were taken during a short trip to Cambridgeshire in May, which I made in the company of two sweet friends. The countryside looked dreamy, with large clouds of cow parsley swaying in the wind. The photo's show what I think is important in a holiday: to spend it in the company of people that you love, to enjoy the beauty of nature, to roam the countryside, to discover new places, read a book or two or to just lay on the grass and let your mind wander and imagination fly.

Wishing you all these things and more. Have a good time. See you in a couple of weeks!

Love,

Madelief x


* Callwey publishers kindly permitted me to give away one of their books 'Decorate with Flowers' by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring. The book is in German and absolutely beautiful. I will tell you more as soon as I get back. So stay tuned!

The photo's above the text were taken in Cambridge, the photo's below the text at Wicken Fen nature reserve and at Anglesey Abbey and Gardens.