Outgoing: dutch mail to Foreign Geek

This mail went out to Wina from Foreign Geek. She has such a great blog! She writes in a humouristic way about her life and travels, just love her writing style. Anyway, she had contacted me on my blog last year (that seems like forever away now) and sent me this parcel with Indonesian goodies. Although Kalwina is a Singapore resident nowadays, she's originally from Indonesia. Well, to cut a long story short, I've sent her a dutch parcel in return.

Okay, I may have been gone a bit overboard with this, but once I get going, there is no stopping. I went for the Dutch colours: red, white and blue, although it's mainly blue and white like Delfts blue table ware (which I love!)

At the DIY store at the wallpaper section I've found these samples of a sort of Dutch style wallpaper. Although I needed six pieces of it, I felt a bit greedy though. So I tackled the kids to pretend they needed samples for their room or something. And as good citizens we left the store with each two samples. So mummy would have enough for her mailthing. And it sort of felt like a little victory. How silly is that, a victorious feeling of 6 samples of wallpaper. Anyway. I've sewn them together (as wallpaper can only be glued to walls, and believe you me, I've tried it! Glueing wallpaper together, it just doesn't work). I've perforated some holes, and tied a blue and white ribbon in. That does work though!

This was inside the wallpaper bags. Sticky tape with Dutch houses on them (well, they could have been Dutch) and a really Dutch Delft blue earthenware magnet. The magnet (yes another) with the saying on it, I found really appropriate since Wina was doing an E-course in happiness. Although happiness can not be learned, most of the time it's just right in front of you, we just need to see it. (oh my God! I've turned into a Zen master, which I'm not of course. I'm always the one who looks at the horizon instead of in front of me, until I sort of stumble upon a little happiness in the place where I wasn't expecting it)

This is my favourite winter tea this year! A lovely mix of redbush and vanilla. It smells really homely, really good for cold weather.

I even got a bit crafty and made this! An envelope with a Dutch texture! To be true, it was a placemat, but you can never tell now. The Dutch ribbon is from a plastic "I'm a winner" award from the kids, which I found somewhere lying around the house. The plastic medal wasn't really nice, so I didn't mind cutting that of to use the ribbon it was tied to. And vintage buttons I thrifted.

Inside a package full of sticky notes of apples and pears. We are surrounded by apple and pear orchards over here. Springtime is beautiful! Blossom everywhere (and hay fever too).

A Dutch card with a letter and a little something.

The little something. A necklace with a blue stone.

And a tin! Will tell you in another blogpost about these kind of tins.

I've altered the tin a bit to give it a Dutch feel. Even put a vintage picture inside and some small Dutch gifts.

Red, white and blue gifts inside! A Delft blue wooden shoe (which was not wooden by the way), a keychain with a girl with traditional Marken costume, a Dutch lucky hanger, a funky red hanger and red, white and blue origami crane birds!

It doesn't look it in this picture, but the crane birds were really tiny, but really sweet. And for a bit of luck of course. Or for a bit of Dutch courage. Yeah, that's better, Dutch courage.