corner view - flowers

Just stopping by with a last minute Wednesday Corner View post for Flowers.

I couldn't resist posting these wonderful peonies.

One of my favourite flowers.

These photographs were taken some while back, but some of my favourite ever.

Happy Wednesday.

For more beautiful flowers from Corner View contributors
stop by Francesco @ Fuoriborgo

corner view 'time for myself'

Hello again Corner Viewers.  I'm back in the swing of the school routine again and back to see what's going on around the world with CV.

Time for myself has been pretty scarce this summer - our first experience of 12 weeks summer vacation!  Usually I like to blog, Instagram, Pinterest, take photographs, read and generally potter about in my home. But when I found an hour to myself earlier this week I headed straight to get a pedicure - a little self pampering never hurt anyone, right? Magazine in hand, coffee by my side and relaxing hour of foot pampering, with a new varnish I picked up the week before.  Now that was a perfect way to spend my time for myself.

Blue toes to go with a favourite blue sandal.

For more 'time for myself' around the world, stop by Fuoriborgo to see all the other CV contributions this week.

Happy Wednesday.

corner view 'mineral'

The 3rd and last in CV's mini series.  Mineral (Animal and Vegetable are below).

A recent visit to the coast for a camping trip, where we spent hours playing at the beach.  I love the way the water and wind has made these gorgeous ripples in the sand.  When you walk across the sand with bare feet, it squeaks!

For more CV minerals around the world, stop by Fuoriborgo.

Thank you Dana for three week theme.

Happy Corner Viewing.

corner view 'imagine'

Imagine - this week's Corner View theme comes from Anna.

Imagine if you had one more hour in your day.  Instead of the 24 hours that just fly past, an extra hour just for you to do whatever you wish.

Right now I would use my hour to just sit in the sunshine.  No-one calling 'mama', no errands to run, nowhere to be and nothing to do, just sit.  Peace at last!

For more Corner Views across the world, stop by Fuoriborgo to see what other people imagine.

Thanks for stopping by.

corner view 'fire'

This week's Corner View theme 'Fire' comes from Francesca.

We had a fun camping trip this past weekend at the coast (see post below with more photos).

The campfire Friday evening didn't quite get going - damp wood resulting in a lot of smoke!  We were also way too hungry to wait and used our handy little one burner stove to cook hotdogs.  However, a switch in wood on Saturday evening gave us great fire over which we cooked steaks, mushrooms, onions and then of course toasted marshmallows, and then sat warming out toes as the daylight drifted away.  Memories of Guide camps came flooding back!

For more fire Corner Views, stop by Fuoriborgo and visit all the other contributors.  Thank you.

corner view 'up in the sky'

This week's CV theme is 'Up in the Sky'.

We had a little stroll downtown the other day, well a kind of detour to visit Voodoo Doughnut actually - I cannot resist the maple glazed ones!   The sky was such an amazing blue and this building reached right up to it, almost like it had been cut out and stuck on.  And don't you just love the sign on the building below 'Keep Portland Weird' - so many fun things about this city.

For more skyward views around the globe, check out Corner View at Fuoriborgo.

corner view 'on the ground or at my feet'

This week's CV theme comes from Joyce - On the Ground or At My Feet.

Sunday we spent another glorious day at one of our favourite beaches, Cannon Beach on the Pacific North West coast.  The sun shone, but the sea is always sooo cold.

Haystack Rock is a huge landmark (or should that be ocean-mark) at this beach, and at low tide has the most fantastic rock pools filled with beautifully coloured star fish, anenomes, urchins and mussels.  The kiddos love to paddle around, even when the water temperature turns their feet blue!   These lovely sea creatures were all around their little cold toes.

For more Corner Views, stop by Fuoriborgo.

corner view 'mother'

Welcome to this week's CV theme of 'Mother' from Joyce.

Mother's Day is this Sunday here in the US.   I'm sure the kiddos will come home from school with something very 'creative' that I will love and that will eventually get stored in my keepsakes box of all the childhood gifts and pictures they make.

Sadly my mum died in March last year.  At her funeral we played one of her very favourite songs 'We are the Champions by Queen'.  A fantastic song that just begs to be sung out loud, which I do whenever it comes on the radio in the car - the volume goes up full blast and it feels good to sing but sad and real at the same time, and never fails to bring a tear or two.  I think about her always and miss talking to her and telling her about the kiddos so much.

My mum was a true Champion through and through and fought the dreadful C until the very end.

I love this photograph of my mum taken on her 21st birthday party in 1963 with my dad.  She was a real beauty.  All her life she loved to sing and dance and during her late teens and 20s she wore the most beautiful dresses that she had especially made for her.

(FYI - That's my aunt Pat in the background - we share the same birthday, along with my grandfather (her dad).

For more views on Mothers around the world, please stop by Fuoriborgo to see lots more contributions.

corner view ' things that make me go ... Hmmmm'!

Welcome to this week's CV.  'Things that make me go Hmmm' suggested by Heather.

I was struggling to think of a view until I went out for a little window shopping this morning and spotted these shoes in a store.  My first reaction was 'How on earth could you walk in them?' and then 'Yes, these do make me go Hmmm... and not in a good way either'! Needless to say, they are not now in my wardrobe - I would break a leg or my neck in an instant!

For more 'Hmmms' from around the world, please stop by Fuoriborgo and see the other interesting and diverse Corner View contributions.

corner view 'a room with a view'

Welcome to CV this week, with the theme of 'A Room with a View'.

We last week moved into our new home, so every view we have is new to us.   When standing in the shower, there is a great far off view of the Oregon coastal range, but too far away for a good photograph.  But here is the view from my kitchen window.  Standing at the sink yesterday I see a gorgeous blue sky, no clouds, tall fir trees and the sign of spring with buds on the tree.

Looking the other way, here's a shot of one end of our garden.  Just waiting to get some new outdoor seating and dining ready to enjoy these warm days.  In that tree we have a few little chipmunks living - so cute to watch and listen too.

 For more 'rooms with view' from around the world, stop by Fuoribuorgo.

corner view 'a family dinner'

Tuesday evening dinner was a little chaotic here!  Although we had planned to eat together as we do most evenings, and I had visions of serene(!) family dinner photographs for CV, all plans went out the window.  The kiddos ate early, friends popped in to see us at our new home, and the Huzz and I finally sat down to eat just the two of us much later on.

It was simple, but so delicious, and you know when the weather is warming up (just a little) in our house as the first Greek salads start to appear!  Yum.  Accompanied by home made focaccia bread.  The simpliest food but with great flavour.

Thanks to Theresa @ All of Us for this weeks idea.  For more 'family dinner' views from around the world, stop by Fuoribuorgo.

corner view 'eggs'

This week's CV theme is 'Eggs' from Theresa.

Love eggs.  Scrambled, boiled, fried, poached yum!  But of course this past weekend we had an over-indulgence of mini-chocolate eggs.

First hunting for the plastic eggs hidden all around the house - that kept the kiddos busy for the best part of an hour whilst the Huzz and I had a (much deserved) lie in!

Then the chocolate eggs the kiddos found inside.  Seems like there is a never-ending supply in the house now and they keep calling out to me!

Happy Corner Viewing over at Fuoribuorgo where you will find CV contributions from all over the world.

corner view "work & play"

It's been months since I contributed to Jane @ Spain Daily's Corner View project.  And so much has happened in that time too.  My previous Corner Views came from the Netherlands, but now I have a different view as we relocated to Portland, Oregon USA in December and we're slowly settling in and finding our way.

I now seem to have found some time and rhythm in my life again and feel the urge to see all those wonderful Corner Views every Wednesday.

This week's theme is 'Work & Play' (from Sunny Day to Day Mama).

As a SAHM (stay at home mum) my 'work' includes all things domestic.  No need for the details as we all know what goes into keeping a family home and the family on the right track!

My week began with tackling a not too large pile of ironing that has been calling my name for more than a few days!  Other 'work' included getting the winter tires changed out (Spring please don't trick me!), visiting the bank, grocery shopping for some Easter treats, preparing dinner for the Huzz and I, some few bits of admin and general household stuff.

Then the afternoon arrived.  The sun was shining and blue skies were above.  Time for 'play' after the kiddos were out of school.  Gotta make the most of these dry sunny days here in the Northwest (rain is usually not far away!).  

(This involved me doing a lot of work pushing this rotating wheel around so Luca could spin!)

With this 'work & play' theme, the old Mars bar ads kept popping back into my mind 'Work, Rest & Play'.  So with two done, we came home to enjoy our rest and a plate of cookies! 

Happy Corner Viewing over at Fuoriborgo. Take a peek - I'm sure you will enjoy.

corner view 'on my wall'

This guy hangs proudly on my living room wall.  We went out shopping for a bookcase, and came home with him instead!   The following time we were out searching for the bookcase, we came home with a gorgeous Indian mirror!  On our next shopping trip we found the perfect bookcase. Third time lucky as they say!

For celebrations like Christmas or birthdays, he always gets to wear a Santa or party hat or have twinkling lights around his horns!

Thanks to Elsa for today's theme.  For more Corner Views, take a look at Francesca's blog.

corner view 'motion'

Not the easiest of subjects for CV this week.  Capturing somebody / something in motion can often end up blurred and unidentifiable (for me anyway!).  So I asked my Huzz to take some shots of the amazing herons at the beach where we are staying.  Such big birds, but so graceful and elegant in flight.

Thanks to Cole for this weeks CV theme.  To view more Corner View motion blogs around the world, stop by Francessca.

PS - Blogger deleted the original of this post and all 250 comments (actually make that 6 comments)!  So this is my 2nd time of posting CV this week.  So, I hope this stays put!

beach feet / corner view

Oooohhhh, those little chubby feet.  So cute in her new beach footwear.

And I've just realised that this can also be my Corner View 'By the Sea' contribution for this week too!  Two posts in one - lovely!

Thanks to Lise for this week's theme.  For more Corner View's 'By the Sea', stop by Francesca's blog.

corner view 'what's for lunch?'

Its been a while since I stopped by for a Corner View blog.  But what better way to return than to see what all the Corner View contributors are having for lunch in their little corner of the world.  Take a tour.....  but beware, it may make you hungry!

My very favourite lunch is the Huzz's homemade focaccia bread with some olive oil and a little balsamic to dip it in, and a Greek salad on the side.  Perfect for this gorgeous spring weather we've been having here in NL.  These past couple of weeks, a focaccia has been made about 3 times a week!

FYI - the recipe of the focaccia comes from 'The Bread Bible' by Rose Levy Beranbaum - a fabulous book and well worth having around.

Thank you Dorte for this week's idea.  For more Corner View lunches start at Francessa's blog.

corner view 'organic form'

I've missed the past few CVs.... so thanks all those who stopped by and left lovely comments on my other blogs instead!  Always lovely to see you.

This week's CV is Organic Form around the world.

 For last year's summer vacation, we visited our home country, the UK, and spent 2 weeks in Cornwall.  One place that had been on my 'to visit' list for many years was Eden Project.  It was worth the wait I can tell you.

In The Core (the education center) of the project, is a wonderful sculpture titled 'Seed'.  Organic in form, made from granite and weighing in at 70 tonnes, I found this so impressive.  Its pattern is based on the geometric and mathematical principles which underlie plant growth (a little over my head I have to say) .  Seed is housed in a bell-shaped chamber built specifically for it and is the only thing in the room.  Wonderful to see, to walk around and to touch.

You can read lots more about 'Seed', its architect Peter Randall-Page, and how the idea and design came about etc, at this site.

Here's a little movie clip showing the installation, which actually took just 1 hour 45 minutes.

You can also see a few more photographs from our trip to Eden Project here.

Enjoy.

For more Organic Forms at Corner Views around the globe, please take a tour at these lovely blogs.

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, otli, ida, lisa, dorte, kimmie, nicola, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale, samantha, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, britta, juanita, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, jodi, gillian, travelingmama

athena, pienduzz, kelleyn, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, lisa, liza, juliette, mulot, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane, grey-lemon, line, nihal, inner toddler, puna, lucylaine, adrienne, lynn, skywriting, eliane, the wanderer´s daughter, carole, anna, dorit, kenza, sherry, conny, susan, l´atelier, elis, kamana, anne, rosamaría, marinik, elisabelle, victoria, malo, the yellow door paperie, tikjewit, juniper, marcie, annabel, andrea, valerie, karin, michelle, merel, pia, soisses, angie, adèle, latisha, mlle paradis, 24 ruel, cacahuete, wander chow, debra, linnea and emily, barbara, emily, maryline, tally, therese, nadine, matilda, don, cheryl, flowtops, susanna, katy, suzana

corner view 'traditions'

 Christmas wreath on our front door.

These are our little traditions at this festive feasting time of year.

Two Christmas trees

The big one decorated with just silver, glass and white lights.

The smaller one completely covered in every colour and style decoration you can imagine

(guess who decorates that one?!)

A box filled with Christmas story books that I hide away all year
and bring out on 1st Dec for bedtime stories.


Rudolph cuddly toys that go into the kiddos beds for Dec.

Lots of candles in the evenings throughout all the winter months.

Always scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for Huzz and I on Christmas Day morning,

with a glass (or 3) of Champagne to start the day off well.

Cheers!

For more lovely 'traditions' around the world, take a look at these Corner Views.

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, otli, ida, lisa, dorte, kimmie, nicola, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale, samantha, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, britta, juanita, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, jodi, gillian, travelingmama

athena, pienduzz, kelleyn, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, lisa, liza, juliette, mulot, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane, grey-lemon, line, nihal, inner toddler, puna, lucylaine, adrienne, lynn, skywriting, eliane, the wanderer´s daughter, carole, anna, dorit, kenza, sherry, conny, susan, l´atelier, elis, kamana, anne, rosamaría, marinik, elisabelle, victoria, malo, the yellow door paperie, tikjewit, juniper, marcie, annabel, andrea, valerie, karin, michelle, merel, pia, soisses, angie, adèle, latisha, mlle paradis, 24 ruel, cacahuete, wander chow, debra, linnea and emily, barbara, emily, maryline, tally, therese, nadine, matilda, don, cheryl, flowtops, susanna, katy, suzana