I'm doing this for me


Today is the start of a new chapter, a new life year -it's my birthday-, the end of an old job and the beginning of a new adventure. It took me quite some years to get to this point, but I need to do this and I need to do this for me, to be happy and because I frankly have no choice if I want to improve this part of my life. It is time to create my own world, a world where all my creativity and passions will come together. A world where I get to choose, where the stress will be mine, the failures will be mine and the victories will be mine. 
I decided to jump into the unknown and to not let fear, insecurity, other people's opinions, and negative feelings hold me back anymore. 
I noticed that all these years of working for other people left me unfulfilled and empty in a way, because I could never commit with my heart. I could not work based on my instinct and my way of seeing things. I was tired of writing in a font that other people chose for me. Working towards goals that weren't mine. Being pigeonholed where I did not necessarily feel at ease. Suffering from the social pressure of 'having a career' when I did not need a 'status' to form my identity. 
So this next step has been brewing in my head for some years and some months ago it felt like the stars were aligning - no more excuses! Jump, girl! Get your big girl panties on! 

And if I fail, I'll fail and it will be a bruise in the course of my life (like I have other ones), not a tattoo and there will be a Plan C waiting for me & if it works, I will so make it happen every single day, until another dream comes along.
 
So, today I'm very excited to share my project with you!
I'm going to open a place that I created:
The 3L Buurtkantine 
A day-canteen for coffee, co-working and healthy food!
I will share more about my journey into entrepreneurship soon!



Stay tuned!!

The Rapunzel Party - Olivia's 5th Birthday



This weekend we celebrated Olivia's 5th birthday. She wanted a 'Rapunzel' (Tangled) party, so it seemed appropriate to have the party at the castle where I work. Her dearest (and only) cousin, aunt, uncle and grandmother from France paid a surprise visit for her birthday weekend, so she was over the moon! She was a happy girl running around the park, receiving too many presents and eating too much cake. Birthdays as they should be. She loves to be a princess, so if you cannot be a princess at 5, when can you? She had the biggest purple dress and a big yellow braid, and silver shoes with heels (yeah, i know). May her confidence of now stay with her forever.
We love you, Rapunzel! You're the best (and the coolest) and you complete us!
And thank you everybody for coming and the nice presents for our Petteke!
All her previous birthdays, if you would like to see
4
3
2
1
 
(Thanks Milan for the tower photos)