Keukenhof Tulip Gardens

Last Saturday the family and I finally make it to the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens! I discovered this place about two weeks too late last year after we moved here....you see This place is only open about eight weeks out of the year. Timing is everything if you go too early you may not see much blooming, but if you go too late then many things will have already bloomed and be cleaned up.

We went April 25th, this last week of April/first week of May seems to be a good time to go as every single type of flower on display was blooming. From talking to other people, this last week of April/first week of May time frame seems to be fairly consistent from year to year.

Each year the garden coordinators usually focus on a country to feature, but this year they chose Vincent Van Gogh as their feature display. This is the 125th anniversary of his death so they decided to pay tribute to him.

The Keukenhof was one of those things where I was afraid to actually go. I had heard so many wonderful things and saw so many wonderful photos that I wholeheartedly expected to be let down. But, you know what? The gardens certainly delivered. We all left feeling more enriched and happy we went. The greenhouses were full of amazing diplays from Van Gogh's art works brought to life to beautiful wedding displays. Despite the number of people at the park for the Corso (a yearly parade) it was still a wonderful time.

A bit about our trip...

We went after breakfast. We did get stuck in 90 minutes worth of traffic as we left the house about 10:30, arrived at the airport where we picked up the shuttle around 11. We wound up arriving at the Keukenhof at a little after 1pm. If I were to do this again I would leave the house by 8am. Once we were off the shuttle we found a side entrance where we walked right in...make sure you find the alternative entrance, the main entrance is a madhouse. We knew we wanted to make the most of our time there but wanted to leave no later than 3:30 as there was a sign that had tour busses scheduled to leave at 5pm, since we were in traffic on the way there we knew we did not want to hit traffic on the way back. So, we began our stroll conscious of the time...it really was plenty of time.

So...here is what we saw...

These were probably my favorite flower/display: Synaeda King and Giuseppe Verdi

I loved these hot pink ones!

The first green house we entered was the Oranje Nassau it was a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh. There were several reprints of his artwork displayed along with flowers that were similar in fashion to ones he painted. 

There were even a few exhibits that were sort of interactive but they were so busy I didn't bother with them, nor did I need to...admiring his artwork in this capacity was enough for me.

The big display was one of his famous self-portraits redone in tulips. I feel as though we were so lucky to see this. The entire thing was blooming and even as early as the week before we went there were some that were still just green. I love everything to do with Vincent Van Gogh, so to see this in full bloom was a real treat for me. Hubby even stood in the long line to get on the grand stand and see it with me even though I told him he didn't have to...that is love folks. 

Some of the flower fields. A sea of red.

Loving the XXX in flowers.

I love how they recycled some of these cribs into a piece of artwork. Also, see where all those people are, that is near the windmill where you can climb up and an area where you can book a cruise through some of the flower fields..we didn't do that...nothing was worth fighting those lines.

This was a really fun bridge to play on. 

Colour!

 This was the only other green house we fought to get into...the weeding displays! They were really pretty. But it was super packed, we did a quick tour around then had to get out.

We loved the displays with these little pineapple looking flowers, they just looked so happy and almost tropical.

Hyacinth...this smelled amazing. Just wow.

This was a magical experience and I would highly recommend actually planning a trip around this even to visit The Netherlands. 

It is a spectacular experience. Here are my tips for making the most of your experience:

• Purchase your tickets in advance
• Leave early to get there when the Gardens open
• Enter through one of the alternative entrances, just ask anyone in a yellow vest
• Eat before you go, restaurants get really packed and seemed over priced in my opinion
• Bring a water bottle...lines for drinks and food were extremely long
• Don't forget your camera
• Expect to deal with large amounts of crowds, so be patient

This is something that is fun for the whole family since everything is paved so you can bring a pram/stroller, there is playground equipment for the littles, and the teeanger thanked us several times for giving her the opportunity to go. Not once did she complain and she was very in to seeing the displays and all the flowers in bloom. 

As a final note, if you are a fearer of bees because you swell horribly (almost to allergic reaction proportions like me) or are allergic I am happy to report we didn't see a single bee. I am not sure how that was possible and worries me slightly, but I really was glad because it meant I didn't need to worry.

So, I highly recommend you plan a trip to see this at some point, well worth it!

P.S. Make sure you check out the Reasons to Travel link up over at Reasons to Dress!

DIY: Bouquet in a Pumpkin

I knew for our Thanksgiving Celebration I wanted an original center piece. It is hard to find something very fall like still here in Amsterdam since most everything has crossed over to Christmas already with Sinterklaas having made his way through town and that feast coming up at the end of this week.

I found a number of ideas on pinterest so I had to narrow it down. I love this one in particular. So off I went to recreate.

I hunted down a flower stand I knew had pumpkins at one point and they still had two left! I was very excited. I then found the vase I wanted to use inside (I just recycled a two liter bottle). I placed the two liter bottle on top of the pumpkin and traced around it making a cutting line on the top of the pumpkin around the stem. Then, I went to work with a serrated knife and cut the top and scooped out all the seeds and other "guts". You can toss the top as you won't need it. Save the seeds though you can bake those. This is what I was left with:

Once the pumpkin was clean I put the two liter bottle in and traced around where I wanted to cut it off. I slightly tilted the marker upwards so the top would stick out just a tiny bit. I was worried it would tip over if it were too exact and I wanted it to be really stable. This is what it looks like:

Cut the top of the bottle off (be careful so you don't cut yourself the plastic can be sharp). Fill with water.

Fit into the top of the pumpkin.

...and push down so it is secure.

When picking the flowers I knew I wanted mums since it was November and they are big and fluffy, and I wanted roses that felt fall. I was ecstatic when I found the peach and red tipped roses.

I then measured the length I wanted the stems to be. I wanted the flowers to just poke over the top of the pumpkin.

I put all the roses in first, then put the four mums all around to fill in any gaps and really give the bouquet that full feeling.

I think it turned out quite beautifully. This is the first flower arrangement I've ever done so I was extremely excited. For the full centerpiece I added a sheet of wrapping paper I found at an end of the roll sale for two euro and made a "Give Thanks" bunting which I will share on Thursday!

If you want more ideas for next year make sure to follow my Thanksgiving Pinterest board!
Follow Kate's board Thanksgiving on Pinterest.

Happy Friday!!!

(Check out the AWESOME flowers my hubby go me this week...well sort of. I am such a crafty nerd that he told me to go get some so I went to the local cart that donates all proceeds to the elderly/homeless & made us a gorgeous bouquet)

HAPPY FRIDAY, Everyone!!! Yes, I screamed that! Welcome to F-R-I-D-A-Y!!! 

Now, being a stay at home mom/wife Friday isn't quite as special to me as it used to be, but it is still nice because it means I can do something super special to kick off the weekend which means a super fun & exciting two whole days with my two loves. 

So, for this Friday I planned pizza & a movie for us. But, since I love to be non-traditional we are going to do pizza burgers along with salad and some homemade garlic bread. We will also be watching "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close". I am really looking forward to seeing this as it's one the daughter & I have been wanting to see. Plus, in lieu of the Boston events I think it is a great time to review a horrific detail in the United State's history, while having a positive message behind it. 

So, before I get to the yummy recipe I thought I might list a few things I am thankful for this week: 

• My husband (who is just as wild and crazy as me about seeing the world)
• My daughter (who is amazing & puts up with our thousand moves & just rolls with the punches
• The luxury of having lived so many different places and seen so many amazing things
• The sun, this seems like a small thing but after the grey winter I am glad for some Vitamin D. 
• The city of Vancouver which provides us with much entertainment & a fun walking experience every weekend..

Now, for the super fun recipes for tonight's dinner:

Pizza Burgers

1 lb ground beef (or 4 premade hamburger patty's)

Pizza sauce (canned or homemade)

Mozzarella cheese

Dried Basil

Salt

Pepper

Onion Powder

If using ground beef form into four patties. On each side season liberally with dried basil, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Cover with saran wrap & let marinate all day. When ready, take patty's out & fry in a frying pan until done to your liking (I do about 10 minutes on each side, but we like ours fairly well done). In the mean time heat the broiler up & cover a baking pan with foil. As the burgers finish place them on the foil lined baking sheet. Top each burger with a generous amount of pizza sauce & mozzarella cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted. Watch carefully or it will burn quickly under the broiler. Plate & serve along side a green salad & garlic bread.

My Favorite Garlic Quick Bread

1 Loaf of French Bread from the Bakery

a lot of softened butter

garlic powder

dried minced garlic

basil

mozzarella cheese, if desired

Split French Bread loaf in half. Spread liberally with softened butter (I'm a very healthy person but don't be shy here lol it's Friday you want to cover that sucker in buttery goodness). Shake garlic powder over the buttered halves. Be careful here, or not lol we love garlic so I use a lot & I'll only be kissing hubby so we will both have stinky breath & no vampire attacks will occur, certainly! Then, sprinkle lightly with minced garlic and basil for decoration. Then, if the mozzarella on the burgers isn't enough or you are serving this with a different meal feel free to cover this bad boy with some mozzarella. Then, stick under the broiler & toast it up. But, watch it carefully as it will burn quickly. 

For a super fun treat you can serve the burgers on the garlic bread. ;)

Hope y'all have a fabulous Friday!!! What sort of plans do you have for the weekend ahead???

Happy Spring

I know I am about two days late but I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Spring! I know we are exited to get some beautiful weather up here!! It's been sunny until very late the last couple of days, then today when out running errands we saw these beautiful daffodils blooming! I can't wait for warmer weather! Until then I am still enjoying the comfort of my Uggs! ;)

How is spring coming along where you are? What are you most looking forward to doing when the weather warms up?