A Flower A Day For 30 Days

I came across a Girl Scout project today that I think it pretty great. It's called " A Flower A Day for 30 Days." The gist of the project is that people are quick to tell others what they've done wrong, but when was the last time you told someone you appreciate them or that they're doing a great job? For the next 30 days (starting today), give a friend, stranger, child, family member, or anyone at all... a flower a day. Make sure that you include a little note telling that person why you are giving them the flower. It could be anything from "You are special", or "You make me smile" to simply "I was thinking about you today". It doesn't even have to be a real flower. You can send someone a picture of a flower in an e-mail. Get creative. The whole point is to make someones day just a little bit brighter. It's just one flower a day for the month of April. It will only take a minute of your time. That little act of kindness on your part could mean the world to someone else.

Brussels Flower Carpet 2010!

Back to the train station for another adventure. This weekend is the annual Flower Carpet Exhibition in Brussels. It takes about 2 hours to get to Brussels by train, but it goes quicker than you would think. The fact that we went with lots of friends probably helped. :0) The Central Station is about a block from the Grand Place, so it's very convenient. Although it was pretty crowded in the Grand Place, people were considerate of each other, and it was easy to get a great view of the Flower carpet.When we got out first look at the carpet, we were amazed. It was stunning. These pictures don't do it justice. The colors were beautiful! For a mere 3 euro, you can go up on the balcony of the Town Hall and get a view of the carpet from above. The line was pretty long, so we decided to just check it out from ground level. I love the fact that they put a fountain in the center of the design this year. It looked like it has always been there. The Flower Carpet takes place every 2 years, on the even numbers. Check out the link I included above to see pictures of past designs. The design is started about a year in advance. The day before the flower part of the carpet construction is started, the grass is laid out. Then, the following day, over 750,000 flowers are quickly placed on the ground. (No soil is used, but they do cover the cobblestones with a thin sheet of plastic). It takes about 4 hours to complete the entire design. The Flower Carpet Exhibition has been taking place in the Grand Place of Brussels since 1971, but it was going on in other places around Belgium long before that. The Carpet is constructed entirely of Begonias (and some grass to complete the pattern). Belgium is the largest producer of Begonias in the world, growing an average of 60 million a year. After checking out the Carpet, we walked around the city a little bit. There were lots of little markets sprinkled around.At first, I thought that this was real beer, but upon closer inspection, I realized that they were candles. They looked so real!The Royal Palace in Belgium is only open for tours for a short time each summer. The entrance is free, and the line moves rather quickly. It's a beautiful building. My only complaint is that they didn't allow you to take pictures inside. In fact, they don't even let you take your camera in there. You have to check your bags and cameras at the door when you enter. Sadness. You know how I love my pictures.

A trip to Brussels wouldn't be complete without a visit to the world famous Manneken Pis.This is his big brother, who apparently was hungry for some of the cities delicious waffles. I know. It's pretty disturbing. He couldn't even wait to finish his business before he grabbed a snack. We had a talk about manners, but he pretty much ignored what I had to say.

I feel bad about the last image, so I'll show you some something to take it out of your mind. We picked up some of these before heading back to the train station and hopping our ride back home. You're welcome. And yes, they were as delicious as they looked.

February Floral Fun!

Ahhh...It's that time of the year that delights young ladies and strikes fear into the hearts of men. Valentine's Day is approaching, and it's coming fast! In honor of the holiday, here is our project for this month's floral arranging class. This was my third floral class, and I must say...it's loads of fun. Our teacher is a lovely Belgian lady, who keeps coming up with amazing and unusual projects to entertain us. And she has a great sense of humor. That's always a plus when it comes to working with our group. I'm just saying...

Flowers and Snow...

I know, it's a strange combination, but flowers and snow it is. First off, I had the chance to take another floral arrangement class yesterday. Who knew these things were so much fun? The Belgian lady who teaches these classes has a great sense of humor, so we always have quite a few giggles as we "work." Let's just say that the Belgians also have a way with slang, and it translates quite nicely. Anyway, I now have a lovely Christmas decoration for my table.

Today, there was a decided change in the weather. Why....is that snow? I know, it's not the several feet of white stuff dumped on us in Alaska, but it's exciting just the same. So far, it's sticking, and more is expected tomorrow. I'm told that last year, they got about 5 inches around this time. I don't think that's in store for us this week, but we'll take what we can get. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Fall Fun!

We had a Fall Festival at Brandon's school this weekend, and he and I won the pumpkin carving contest! Woohoo! This is our winning entry. Apparently the judges shared our strange sense of humor. The prize was a gift certificate for the BX. There is still some negotiating to take care of on that issue. I thought Brandon could pick out a nice fall shirt, but he has something else in mind...a game. Go figure. (He does look a little creepy all lit up, doesn't he?) He gets to go to work with Russ on Friday. We are decorating the offices so the kids can go trick or treating there. Here is some gee wiz info on Belgium. Did you know that they didn't celebrate Halloween here at all until around 5 or 6 years ago? We Americans brought the craze over here, and now local stores sell Halloween decorations. You'll even see some houses and businesses all duded up for the Holiday. Some Belgians aren't too into it, though. They think it's a little too scary. They have Halloween parties and haunted corn fields here, but they don't trick or treat. Darn those healthy people!

Yesterday was fun-filled as well! Jess is off of school this week for Fall Break, so we went to the market at Peer for a morning of shopping! We went a little crazy at one booth selling beautiful scarves. (Scarves are VERY big here!) They were 3 for 10 Euro! Of course, that meant we had to get a few. We ended up with 6. I think that shows a great deal of restraint for the two of us. It could have been a lot worse! We had to stop off at Leonidas for some chocolate to restore our energy for more shopping. After picking up some dried pineapple and mango, speculoos cookies, a new purse, and some fresh vanilla waffles (shopping is hard work, so we had to refuel!!), we headed home. Jess got to relax for the rest of the afternoon, but I was off again. I had a class on how to make a Fall floral arrangement in a pumpkin. I've never done this sort of thing before, so I was a little hesitant about it, but it was a blast! I think it turned out pretty good, too. It was lots of fun getting together with the girls, sharing laughs, and making a big mess. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it all. I think it's time for more chocolate.