It has become a tradition to start a book by one of my favorite authors on my birthday, and this year it's Schwab's turn. I started Gallant with my favorite reading buddy Delilah Bard right next to me last night, and it's already showing all the signs of being a 5 star read. 😍🎊🐱📖

Trying to stay cool in the middle of a 40°C heatwave with some Nordic noir and a summer fruit salad... Today is day number five and I'm more than ready for this hot weather to be over! 🥵📖🍈🥝🍓🍑🫒

I always try to make something new for our Christmas tree each year, and I love how these little robins came out! 😍

Celebrating that I finally emptied out my NG shelf again and reached that mythical 100% ratio by painting these little plant pots for my baby succulents. 😁🖌🌈🪴

The blogging slump seems to be very stubborn indeed, but at least I'm baking again? 🤷‍♀️ I made these mini #boterkoek pies/cookies today as I was feeling nostalgic. #ambaking 🥧🍪

Guess who learned how to make pretzels in the middle of a heatwave?? 🙋‍♀️🥨 #ambaking

Sunday bliss! 😍 Spending the morning with Kim Stone and the rest of her team... Who knows; I might actually catch up with this series before the end of the year!

First strawberries of the season, so of course I had to bake something to celebrate. 😂 I ended up making these mini pies with lemon curd filling and topped with fresh strawberries. 😋🍋🍓🥧

My reading pace is still SO slow, but at least I've been painting... Just look at these cute ladybug cement stones! 🐞😍

It's almost a tradition to have something sweet during our #buddyread , so I decided to make some rice pudding with speculaas flavor just in time for Part Two. 😁

All set up in my new reading/painting spot to start #buddyread The One Hundred Years Of Lenni and Margot!! ☀️🫖🖌📖

I haven't been reading much this month, but at least I have been painting... Including these colorful cement 'stones' that I will be using to mark the edge of a plant border. 🌈😍 I will have to make at least 80 more before I have enough of them though. 🙈

Painting in progress!! I love how the yellow brightens up the garden even when the weather is overcast like today. 😍 Of course our dog Paco has to 'help' with the painting too. 🐶😆🤣

Spending a quiet afternoon reading in the garden before the DIY/painting madness begins tomorrow... No more sad grey walls in the garden; I will be painting them yellow. 😁 I just love the name of the paint color too: 'lemon ice cream'. 🍋🍦😍

I decided to spend the afternoon recycling an old pizza board and I love how this one came out! 😍 Still need to varnish it and the photo doesn't do the yellow justice, but I'm sure I will be using it in daylight soon enough as a tea/snack board (meaning better pictures). 😉 #ampainting

Sunday bliss. 😍 Revamped the doghouse during the weekend (also repainted the shelves and a couple of cement plant pots) and now it's time for a reward. 😁📖 Paco doesn't really seem to care about the new look of his house though. 😂🐶

Mr. Penguin and me are having a 'wild' Friday night reading The Lost Man... 🐧📖🙈😂 I'm excited to be finally reading this one as I loved her writing in the Aaron Falk books. 😍

Woohoooo I finally cleared out my pending Netgalley shelf completely and made it to the mythical 100% ratio!! 😱🥳😱🥳😍 This has never happened before in the five years since I signed up... Ready for a break now though. 😆

OMG I'm now down to just TWO pending NetGalley titles on my shelf!! 😱🥳😍 I don't think I've ever been this close to the mythical 100% ratio before... Although my profile seems to think I already got there? 🤔🤷‍♀️

Guess who has finally managed to get her pending Netgalley shelf below 5 books?? 🥳🎊🥳🎊😍

Soaking up some winter sun while I continue this nordic noir sequel I'm loving so far... Jasmine decided to keep me company. 😍🐱📖☀️ #caturday #amreading

Woohooooo I finally made it to the single digit mark on my pending @NetGalley shelf!!! 🥳😍🥳 Now let's see how long I can actually keep it this way... 🙈🤣 #bookbloggerproblems

Of course I ended up putting together a list of the books I read during 2020 (3 stars and above) instead of catching up with all things blogging... Whoops? 😅🤣 Now I'm curious: how many of these have you read? 🤔 https://www.listchallenges.com/books-featured-during-2020-on-its-all-about-books

I love this little penguin corner bookmark! 😍🐧📖 I'm really enjoying Broken Homes so far and I'll be looking forward to read more today. 😁

I'm hoping to start the next Rivers Of London book tonight! A certain someone wants me to play fetch with him instead though... 🙈😂🐶📖

Today is #bookmail day!! 🥳 My Babelio Masa Crítica Argentina ARC copy has finally arrived and it's so pretty. LOVE what I've seen of the illustrations so far!! 😍

Back in February I wanted to get back on track with my Netgalley shelf so I could read more of my own titles... Four months later, and while I do have 'only' 12 books pending instead of 16, I did manage to add a whopping 31!! new ARCs. Whoops? 🙈😂🤣 This does mean I read 35 ARCs in four months, which isn't too shabby I suppose. 🤷‍♀️ #bookbloggerproblems

More fishing themed mates are starting to come together! 😍🎨🧉🎣 Taking a break from painting though to continue The Good Lie as it's too addictive to put on hold for long. 😁

A friend of the hubby commissioned a dozen fishing themed 'mates' for his fishing/camping shop, so I guess I will be busy painting in the near future. 😁🎨🧉🎣 I'm looking forward to start my ARC of The Good Lie too though!

I decided to spend this Friday evening with one of my favorite detectives DI Kim Stone. 😍😍😍

I'm still reading The Stand too, but the book is so huge that I need little breaks to read other titles even though I am enjoying it so far (62% in so there is still a long road ahead). 🙈

Spent the afternoon painting this wooden bowl set and I love how these came out! 😍 I still have to varnish them, but that will have to wait until the humidity is down. 🙈🎨🌿

It wasn't as cold today, so I decided to soak up some vitamin D while continuing book giant The Stand... And apparently Felix thought my lap was the perfect place for a little siesta. 😂😍🐱📖

SO close to the magical single digit pending @NetGalley shelf!!! 😱🥳 Now nobody move while I try not to request any new titles before I can finish another one. 🙈🤣 #bookbloggerproblems #amblogging

The weather has been terrible these last few days, so I decided to bake this traditional Dutch #boterkoek recipe as a treat. 😋 And what better book to combine it with than a sweet romance read?!

Tonight it is #comfortfood night with homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese. 😍🍅🧀 I've also started my most recent romance read Shipped; I've seen lots of mixed reviews, so I've been curious to find out how I will react to it.

I'm excited to be reading this one as I loved the first two Cuba books! Jasmine decided to keep me company for a bit too. 🐱😍📖

Happy #caturday ! 🐱❤ The temperatures have gone slightly up, so I was able to read for a bit outside today... Felix decided to join me too (and you can also spot our dog in the back). 😍

UPDATE: I was able to finish varnishing the 'mate' set this morning and it's all done now! 🧉🎨😍

The reason why I haven't been reading as much these last couple of days... Oh yes, I'm painting another 'mate' set! 🧉🎨😍 A gift for my sister-in-law this time though. 😁

The cold weather definitely seems to be here to stay, and we had to start using the winter rainbow crochet bedspread again... And to make it double crochet, I'm currently bundled up under my waffle stitch blanket about to start a new book. And who needs a hot-water bottle if you have a sleeping cat right next to you (bump in the left bottom corner)? 😆😂🐱📖😍

I'm finally starting My Dark Vanessa, which means that it's time to draw a new TBR jar pick! So many books... 😱

It seems like the cold weather has officially arrived, which means Jasmine wants her cuddles again. 😍🐱📖

Making the most of the last lingering summer weather by reading in the garden with some refreshing orange-flavored 'terere'... 😍

I had the whole Saturday afternoon free to read, so of course I ended up painting this mural instead. 🙈😂🎨 I know it's not 100% accurate, but I had to draw the map by hand with only a reference on my phone, so I'm considering it a win. 🤷‍♀️

Having a 'wild' Saturday night reading in bed. 😂📖 There is a cat under the blanket somewhere too! 🤷‍♀️🐱

Trying out my new mate while starting another ARC... I definitely needed something light after finishing Karin Slaughter's Kisscut last night! 🙈

Enjoying a slice of my favorite fruit/custard pie recipe while I continue with Ariadne... 😋📖🍑🥝

Remember that wooden 'mate' set I was painting? It's now varnished and all ready to start using once I 'cure' the mate! I just LOVE how these came out. 😍🧉🎨🌿💛💚💙

The 'reading books snuggled up under a blanket' season is starting again... 😁📖

I just LOVE how these came out! 😍🧉🖌 I still have to varnish them, but that will be for another day when the humidity isn't so high. 🙈 #ampainting