Tunesday Tunes - Lianne La Havas

I wrote about being thankful for finding new, inspirational music last thursday. And I promised to share it with you today! I present to you Lianne La Havas!

I found this British singer via de the Dutch Glamour Magazine (I posted about that in my latest Scrapbook Saturday post). Love her voice and honest lyrics.
Best of all: her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough will be released 8th of July! And it's definately on my list...

I share with you this beautiful song: No Room For Doubt which features Willy Mason as well (great!). It's a bit of a bluesy song, so make sure you check her other songs too (like Is Your Love Big Enough, I think her latest single). They've got some more swing ;).

Enjoy!

Scrapbook Saturday: inspiration from print -Part II

Saturday is a day for creativity. Painting, craft, dance, drawing, painting, design, photography or diy projects. Last week I shared with you the first part of print-inspiration; as promised: part II.

The past week I browsed through:

• Glamour (part 2, check for international websites the footer of the webpage). 
• National Geographic (April's issue...no comment)
• National Geographic Traveler (3/2012).
  

Travel, music and even some DIY-inspiration!

1. DIY-idea taken from Glamour 2. Great artist found via Glamour: Lianne La Havas 3. Traveling by movies (from Nat. Geo Traveler) 4. L.A. is on my to-go-list thanks to this great article in Nat. Geo. Traveler 5. Word I did not exist (found in Nat. Geo. Traveler) 6. When I saw this in National Geographic magazine:  I want to receive and/or send one too some day!

Food Adventures on Friday - Just add water

I learn cooking and baking stuff by doing (with the kind help of recipes found all over the place). Yesterday i felt (and felt hard) for comfort food: brownies!

The package said: just add water. I know those are not the best. At. All. We all know, right. But, I felt like chocolate and some comfort food. So, I gave in. Easy to make, of course, did add some chcolate decoration to it. Just because (I told you, in need of chocolate).
It was actually quite nice, warm and still sticky from the oven. Let it cool a bit in the over for a while (to prevent the brown beauty from caving in). I did not eat all in one go. And not on my own. That's what they call the good life.

Hope you had a good friday!

Thankful Thursday

It doesn't hurt anyone to remind yourself of how lucky you are and to be thankful for that. So here are a few of my T's.

• Thanks for great ideas that in reallity are even better, such as an urban picknic in the pouring rain...
• A thanks for oppertunities given to me
• Thanks for the funny surprise emails, which make me laugh out loud.
• A while ago I heard some one on K-love radio say: Memories and relationships are the two things you take with you when you die. Better to be thankful for them.
• There are moments that I wonder wether music has something new to offer. Thankful to discover that yes, music is always evolving and moving... Tell you 'bout my latest discovery next tuesday!

Inspired by the blog of Julie of Perfectly Imperfect (please go visit her inspirational blog, it's lovely.

Tuesday Tunes - Kyteman Orchestra

It's us as human being who put music into boxes, into genres. And it's people who take them out of these boxes too. Or at least that's what comes to mind when I listen to one of Kyteman's projects. 

First there were the Hermit sessions from Kyteman's Hip-hop orchestra, then Kytecrash with Eric Vloeimans and now there's The Kyteman Orchestra. It's an orchestra, a bunch of rappers and choir. That takes some organizing skills. The linking pin is Colin Benders (alias: Kyteman) from Utrecht (and my favorite city in The Netherlands, I admit).

To be honest with you, I can't chose which project I like most. I let you make your own choice by giving you a listen to some music from all three projects:

The most famous one (in The Netherlands, at least) by Kyteman's Hip-hop Orchestra from The Hermit Sessions: Sorry

From the collaboration Kytecrash with Eric Vloeimans: Tribute to the mighty 6

And the latest project: The Kyteman Orchestra this is their first single off their latest album. Listen to other songs off this album via their website.

Sunday Sounds - Casting Crowns

“You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe–a harmonic connection between all living beings; every where; even the stars.” ~Wizard (character from the movie August Rush). When I found this quote, I thought: that's a truth.  This feature is my little reminder that it's not only organ and choir music in a chuch. I hope you get inspired or if faith isn't really your thing, I hope you just enjoy the music.


Last week I went to a big Christian youth event: EO-youthday. I'm not a fan of big events. BUT, when I found out that Casting Crowns played that day, I completely ignored the fact that there would be about 20000 other people at this event. I just discovered their music this year, really. I like the honesty in the songs. 


The straight forward texts come from the fact that all bandmembers are youth workers at their home churches in the USA. Don't talk 'round the point, just say it straight out. Also the doubts and the questions. I like that.


I'd like to share the performance of the song Glorious Day that they gave last week. I love the song, and it's pretty much a summary of the new testament. All in less than 4 minutes. Enjoy!

Scrapbook Saturday: inspiration from print -Part I

Saturday is a day for creativity. Painting, craft, dance, drawing, painting, design, photography or diy projects. This week is more of an inspiration (well, that's what I hope it is for you) post. First of two or three parts, depending on time and real life happenings (so, see you next week(s)?!).

I have this bunch of magazines that are waiting for me to make some time for them. Finally did so today: reading bits & pieces and just browsing and looking at the images.

Love sharing with you my bits of inspiration and dreams that I drew from those printed magazines (and I'm very curious about your favorite and most inpirational magazines)!
The magazines in part one (mos of them are in Dutch, since I'm from the Netherlands, if possible, of course I give you an English link too):

• Inside (which is actually the program of the EO Youth Day 2012. And information in English), 
• CJP-magazine
• Glamour (part 1, check for international websites the footer of the webpage).

  

  1: The magazines 2: Exposition I put on my to-go-list from CJP-magazine. 3:From Glamour magazine 4: Advertisment of ici paris XL in Glamour magazine 5: That dress rocks! Photo of Rob de Ruijter in CJP-magazine 6: som inspirational words in Inside

 

Food Adventures on Friday - Urban Picknic

I learn cooking and baking stuff by doing (with the kind help of recipes found all over the place). But today I went outside for an urban picknic in the rain.


Earlier this week I talked to a friend of mine and we decided to go for an urban picknic in the beautiful city of Utrecht (The Netherlands). That was when it was sunny. But today it's pouring rain like crazy (most of the time). Not feeling like June at all.

But that didn't end our picknic plan. We found a place near the water and a nice little tunnel to keep us, the food and the blanket (which was a sleepingbag actually) dry. We had a great time talking, joking, thinking, laughing and eating. All comfort food: couscous salad (bought, on the list to make one next time), orange juice, strawberries, water melon, toasted bread with honey, two sweet eggs and to toast on the rain: some champagne.

We are planning a winter-version too. And we pray for freezing temperatures so that we can have a picknic on the frozen canals.

Thankful Thursday

It's been a long while since my last blog a few months ago (I can't believe it either), but I'm back and what's a better way to return with a bunch of thank yous!

• I've had plenty of moments the past few weeks that I felt a huge lack of time (sometimes 24 hours just isn't enough). But looking back: I'm thankful for those moments, because it means that I'm alive, on the move, growing, learning and discovering.
• Thanks also for honest people and good talks (I've had a bunch while I was bloff (means: no blog posts (off my blog)).
• Thanks for the birth of my healthy cousin (on the other side of the world).
• A little thanks for my new buddy: my new mobile phone, just because it's a new toy with new technologies that make me smile.
• I'm thankful for being healthy and being able to run, just because I feel like it. Even early in the morning.
• Thanks for the great, funny, sweet, crazy family moments (whole bunch of them!).
• You may have noticed I'm a Christian and because of that I'm thankful to know that God's always there for and with me.

Inspired by the blog of Julie of Perfectly Imperfect (please go visit her inspirational blog, it's lovely.