ps: {thanks to nikki}

have you heard of florence & the machine?

no?

well, consider yourself introduced.

you've got the love - florence & the machine

you're welcome :)

...my friends, like music, have a healing effect on me...

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saturday in brussels

remember when i felt exhausted?

friend nikki came to visit & we decided that a roadtrip was due

so, brussels, belgium it was!

being only a 3hr drive from me, it was the ideal place

the weather was perfection.

the food was delicious.

the markets were colourful.

the people were grumpy...to those who don't speak french.

oh & h&m had a sale - yay.

*parking garages, near the city centre are not so easy to find - but can be found with a trusty tomtom.

we found one {name?} that was relatively inexpensive - €7.80 for 4hours is a bargain! 

considering, that parking in amsterdam can easily be €8 p/hour

i found brussels pleasantly refreshing, in that the city centre wasn't too busy

it wasn't crowded with tourists {which is always a plus}
& the music on the street corners added to the ambience.

i loved the cobblestone streets,
the man selling fresh strawberries in the street

the grand architecture
hearing french & dutch at once
seeing high hippies dancing in the middle of it all
belgian waffles and chocolate (oh, be still my heart)

and mostly, noticing that as fascinating as this city was for me, the locals enjoy it just as much.

our little daytrip did nothing for my physical exhaustion, but did so much for me emotionally
 what can i say, i'm a restless soul.

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a good weekend...

general conference was amazing. seriously, i'm so glad i didn't miss it.

i watched one of the sessions over at a friends place & we all had so much fun....

we started off with tapas and chit chat, then watched the saturday pm session & thereafter played a fun and rowdy game of 'risk'

and yes, we're all still friends. haha.

{i must say though, it wasn't easy shaking luit's hand after he won the game. i like to win. it's what i do}

the festivities ended after midnight & we're sure to plan another day of fun soon.

hmmm perhaps i'll take photos next time

-

on an even more exciting note {uhm, not really}

gluten-free living is going very well. i even found a bakery in town that sells the yummiest gluten-free cupcake things. yay for me!

now for the next challenge {i like to keep my life exciting}:

NO DAIRY. 

yes, this just may be slightly {or very} difficult, -even more so, considering that i live in the land of cheese- 

but i'm up for the challenge.

bring.it.on.

oh & i'd love this dress for the summer please. 
thank you.
via

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hello monday

you were great...to the power of 5
mostly, because you were so sunny!

i spent the day with my fellow safa {south african}, tosha

we explored more of my little-ish city

walked for 6hours straight & didn't realise it until it was time to come home

now, i'm off to soak my feet in warm water & curl up on the couch till the sleepiness comes knocking.

peace out.

{no flower power inducing substances were consumed during this outing - or ever}

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not quite coherent

ever wake up and feel like dog doodoo?

then, you see sun shining & you just have to get out of bed, so as not to miss the sunshine

so, you get ready...still feeling like dog doodoo so you can't eat,

but all's well because the sun.is.shining.

and you can feel it.

you head off to work.

and later, come home to see not one, but TWO orange&white love letters (as i like to call them) from the post man.

i have packages to collect!

get on your bike and off you go. 

life's good.

mommy dearest sent me something special

&

*niqua sent a surprise package half-way across the world - rad.

jillian michaels 30-day shred, the elle magazine (my 1st magazine love) & dark chocolate m&m's.

ah that niqua, she's a keeper

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dear skype,

you're the best.
especially now that i have a webcam.
re: chats with left lung over the weekend

but now, you make things a little more difficult.
now, i want more (last born syndrome)
you're making me miss my friends & family alot. a whole lot.
i want more than just to see them/hearing them....
i want need to hug them. laugh with them. eat with them. go on road trips with them.

i'm whining.
whatever.

love her.

life's good -seriously.

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quoting her

lauren: i hate valentines day

me: what! where did that come from?

lauren: i don't know, it's february tomorrow

happy february

i tend to feel like the first of february is the real beginning of the new year

you know, in january you're just getting used to the idea of a new year/fresh start/adjusting

but in february... the year kicks in

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shake it like a polaroid picture

sometimes beautiful surprise gifts,
deserve beautiful cover songs
after all, that is one of my greatest form of expression
remember the fab fridsma's?

fact: i love bags

fact: i love bags with goodies/supplies/thobeka's survival kit, in them

fact: i sure do love this awesome foursome aka. the fab f's!

heeey ya :)

and now, press play

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hamburg...with the hamburgers?

seriously though, who created the hamburger?

moving on.

i was lucky enough to spend this past weekend in hamburg, germany

(only 4 hour drive from leeuwarden)

i stayed with a friend of a friend, who is now, my friend :)

we walked through the city, lit {tastefully} in the spirit of christmas

took a tour of the harbour aboard a ferry

spent hours at different christmas markets, captivated by the smell of cinnamon,

countless handmade goodies,

instrumental versions of christmas songs at every street corner,

& jolly laughter (the kind that erupts from being slightly intoxicated)

and

ate (& ate & ate) german pastries - mouth watering is an understatement

i didn't get too many photos (cause you kinda really had to be there) but here you go

(psycho camera = blurry photos. apologies for causing pain to the eyes)

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v...is very very, extraordinary

you know you're loved when...

your "employers" become your closest friends

when, these good friends are willing to inconvenience themselves to you make YOU happy

why? because you're a clutz & locked  your keys in the car...again!

when they're willing to make an 2hour return trip to pick up your spare key

why? because they want you to enjoy your evening out with friends

when they call your boss, asking for the spare key, because;

 1. you have no money on your phone

2. you're too chicken to make the call (true story)

when they'll lend you their car to drive for 2hours to finally get the key

and then,

drive you to your car at 02:00 to unlock it!

mostly, it's when they do this with a smile.

the words "thank you" cannot be said enough.

love you too much!

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"we need to reboot your hard drive"

Commitmentphobia is often most strongly apparent in romantic life.

Generally, commitmentphobic people claim that they are eager to find a lasting romantic attachment & get married, yet they fail to find appropriate partners & maintain long lasting connections.

Ironically, in these romantic relationships, the commitmentphobic partner craves what she fears most:

love & connection.

"we need to reboot your hard drive"

thank you sarah!

press play

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everybody's doing it...

invites to dinner parties

the people i work with

people who cook...and do it, oh, so well

food. goooooood food

new friends
FOREVER friends (you know, the kind you can count on one hand. the best)

kiddie giggles

my faith

insanely beautiful family

music
movies...based on really good books
living in the netherlands

my life

etc etc...

image via

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your 20's will be wonderful!

welcome to it!

happy 20th birthday

* to the girl in the purple dress *

crista, yours truly, janet

death by DIVINE chocolate cake

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new moon

janet & i went to see "New Moon" tonight for her birthday

it was premiere night and well,

wowza!

i read twilight - & fell inlove with mr. cullen

watched the movie - fell inlove with mr. pattinson

read the rest of the series - couldn't sleep or think about anything else for weeks

waited months & months & months for the 2nd movie

and well

we're going again tomorrow :)

*it may, or not, be for sole purpose of seeing taylor lautner take his shirt off, but whatever*

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dear, us embassy

please please please,

let me be in this picture, with my GFF at Disneyland this December!

i'll be very very very grateful

thanking you in advance,

thobeka

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what made my day pretty much perfect

another lunch date with janet

eating a spinach olive bagel at my favourite - bagels & beans

realising my LOVE of this

i had no idea that i even liked it, let alone LOVED it!

thank you LIDL for selling it so cheap :)

walking into my room. it's makes me happy these days

finding these photos on my camera :)

saying goodbye to sonto & lu after their visit, last week

the boys at the spoorwegmuseum in utrecht. GREAT place for kids - especially little boys with energy to kill

playing dress up with this little bubba!

janet & i went to see "FAME"

honestly, i wasn't expecting too much from it but wow did it surprise me

i actually really enjoyed it

the release of this fabo calabo :)
empire state of mind - jayz & alicia keys

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my friends are rad...

...& talented

& pretty cute

& & & & check it out

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hello autumn!

hello autumn!

i was asked to help out in primary yesterday & got a little distracted (what's new) by the view outside! the leaves are changing... & the air's getting nippy.

time to pull out the tights & boots - whoop!

look at my cutie boots i got from my friend lauren just before she left for australia.... i love them & i love her!

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ps:

• everything is tall & narrow: the buildings... the people!

chynna and i took a nice long (for our standards) bike ride on friday! we decided to explore our neighbourhood a little bit & get some exercise in the process - it was great. the best part of it, is that we went at 22:00 & the sun hadn't set yet :)

we got home, took a shower & drove to Lemmer to spend the night with Lauren again. We, ofcourse, went to DeFaam which was awesome! We danced all night... & because there's a current German invasion happening in Lemmer right now (they come in masses during the summer), they played alot of oldschool German which i didn't particularly mind :)

i just love to dance.

saturday, we drove back to Leeuwarden to continue work on putting wallpaper up in Sam's room. we were in desperate need for extra cash, for our upcoming 2week vacation so Jen said we could wallpaper his room.... ugh why!haha

we're using this fibreglass wallpaper that has had me itching all weekend!! i've broken out in this weird rash & am not a happy camper.

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smile

whilst catching up on blog reading this caught my attention.
i look forward to this feeling:

My love for him is not of this world. It can't be broken by anything, not by any worldly ideas of what love is. Not by death. Nothing. Love is Godly, God is love. And we are his children. Our bond will carry us to the eternities and beyond. It's not cheesy, it's truth - NieNie

today is beautiful.
chynna & i went up to Lemmer last night to hang out with Lauren.
Lemmer is a town about 40minutes from Leeuwarden.
At around 11pm we went to a pub called DeFaam & even though i doubted it when i walked in, i had SO MUCH FUN.
it was good to be able to go out again, laugh with friends, scream at each other because the music's blaring in your ears, dance like nobodys watching, get hit on random dutch men who speak MINIMAL english & be serenaded by the bartender.
oh & only leave for home at 04:00. perfect.

i enjoyed ever moment of last night.
this morning, we had a new washing machine delivery at 10:00, so i set my alarm for 09:00 and we drove back to Leeuwarden in our pj's.
the weather is BEAUTIFUL today.
a perfect summers day with that brilliant breeze.
aaaaah life's good.

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