idasideetje

Hello my name is Monique. I’m living in the Netherlands. No, I don’t live in a windmill and I don’t wear wooden shoes. I live in a small but cosy house, together with my small family: 1 husband, 1 daughter and 2 dogs. I’m a trouser girl wearing lace boots. And yes, my great-grandmother was wearing dutch traditional clothing.

My favourite ways to spend my time are... 1. just sit down with a warm cup of tea in my hands. A moment to do nothing at all! 2. sitting at the kitchentable, sending mail. 3. go shopping in a second hand store.

What’s there more to say about me? Love to have kids around, but also love the quiet moments. Reading Warrior Cats while reading a thriller at the same time. Love to watch Angela Lansburry in Murder she wrote, or Tom Selleck in Magnum! Try new recipes on a regular basis and eating vegetarian lot’s of times.

I love drinking tea! At the moment my favorite tea is Forrest Fruit, because of the delicious smell. Other favorites are tea with vanilla, lavender,cinnamon, peach, honey or rooibos. But I like to receive any beautiful, delicious or weird tasting tea :-) Peach teas are hard to get in the Netherlands, so those are extra welcome :-)

I don't have a preference for completely sealed, just wrapped in paper or loose tea. (My grilfriend penpal collects teabags and teatags. So please keep the teabags intact, so I can make her happy.)

My favorite place to drink tea with this cold weather outside, is at the couch with a cozy blanket around my legs and a warm dog at my side :-)

But we also have our family “special tea moments”, together at the kitchen table, trying the foreign teas you send me.

I love recycled postcards. Do you know a way to use a fully written postcard for the second time? Or what else can you use for postcard? Surprise me :-) Cardboard postcards are cool! Please make a little drawing at the back.

Don't know what to write? Please, write something about your Grandma, the book you are reading or your favorite pizza. Do you have nice neighbours? Which sock is first in the morning? The one on your left foot, or the one on your right? ... You can write about anything :-)

I love envelopes. It feels like a mailbox present. What's in it??? You can always send an envelope! Even when the swap says naked... feel free to use an envelope :-)

I open the envelopes together with my daughter. We love to know your country in a fun and inexpensive way: please add a trainticket, a little coin, some used stamps, a teabag or anything fun & flat you can think of :-)

Polka dots, bright colors, illustrations, Red Riding Hood, old people, chickens, children’s books, tea, owls, glasses, insects, rabbits, bears, maps, knitting... there’s a lot that makes me happy. But I will love any postcard.

I think it’s not about the front, but all about the back of the postcard. The postcard that is full with writings, drawings, useless facts, stories about you, colors, stickers, washi and lots of stamps... those are the most beautiful ones!