Hi Everybody!
Hope your weekend was good. We had some bad weather here - strong winds blew huge towers of clouds across the sky and we had patches of sunshine interspersed with rain, sleet, snow and hailstones in quick succession. Some places got 10" of snow and ice, which caused havoc on the roads. Here we were still able to get out for walks, with some hail-stone dodging in between, and well wrapped in multiple layers, caps and waterproof jackets.
On Tuesday we are starting a new challenge at Tag Tuesday, and this time our dear Wendy is hosting with her theme of 'sea-world'. All things relating to the sea are welcome, as are tags of all formats, and as always you have 2 weeks to join us. I made a hybrid tag with a background which was painted, stamped and embossed using a stamp from Ryn Tanaka. The other elements are from Serif and Mischief circus:
It's also time for Elizabeth's T stands for Tuesday, so here a warm welcome to all of the nice ladies of the T gang. On Saturday we visited the neighbouring town of Ratingen, and found a beautiful cafe in an old and beautifully restored house for our break:
Loved this huge cutlery on the wall:
There has been a bakery here for well over 100 years:
During the week I often had a coffee at 'my' ice parlour, too:
And this shop window is full of beautiful cups and mugs:
Clouds on Saturday morning:
In Ratingen:
Fun pillow-cases etc:
Beautiful, old houses:
The maypole at the market square:
The 'James Joyce' is a restaurant:
These photos were taken on an evening walk on Wednesday.
Nelya and Harry:
Here we had the evening sun shining in our faces:
And some hailstones picked up from my balcony on Saturday evening:
On the right-hand side of the tree the hail stones came down:
On the left-hand side we had blue skies. Both pics were taken at the same time:
We also visited a wonderful castle near Ratingen, but the pics will have to wait for another day.
Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!
fun tag. I always like the statues of the cupid or boy riding the dolphin.In my area we don't have a nice bakery like you visited. The cookies looks so pretty and I imagine the smell of the bakery was heavenly. Your shop windows are so much nicer than displays in our stores. Our stores lack imagination. I enjoyed the sights on your walk. The unusual tree, the blue and white door is right out of a fairy tale, and the lion statue. Just wow on the weather.Incredible that you can have all the seasons in one hour and the hail is amazing. Happy T Day and enjoy your day.
ReplyDeleteStunningly beautiful tag...I love it!!!
ReplyDeleteTerrible weather and still you brave the elements and go for a walk! You are amazing!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous photos here on your blog! You help me see more beautiful and interesting sights that I cannot find here in my little corner of the world!
Big Hugs❤
Oooh, lots of goodness in today's post dear Val! Love the tag and the gorgeous background with the swirly waves. Great photos from your outings, you have been out and about a lot, in spite of everything, and that's good. Ratingen is a very pretty place, I haven't been there for years. You always take such lovely photos. The weather has been the same here, we got caught in a hailstorm on our way home on Saturday, and it was incredibly loud pelting down onto the car! Have a good week, hugs, Sarah
ReplyDeleteUnbeilievable weather. Beautiful tag and the photos are so nice, including the one of you!
ReplyDeleteHi Valerie sorry i have been unwell. Oh i love your tag the mermaid is amazing ,well done my friend and how quirky is your cafe,love those big fork and spoon on the wall,thankyou for sharing my friend xx
ReplyDeleteyour art work is lovely as always, such beautiful cafes you have to visit, its wonderful that the bakery has been there for 100 years!! I love the cups in the window and the quilts or covers with the ice lollies, that's so cute. The storm that produced the hail was incredible, how the sky was clear on one side and hail on the other! Wonderful photos of you and friends! I hope your hands are feeling better,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure glad you didn't get hurt from those huge droppings of hail!
ReplyDeleteYour art work is very colorful, creative, and I can see a lot of imagination went into it, it's great!
Wow . . . that cafe truly does look beautiful, and that cutlery display sure is awesome, what a great idea!
I drink coffee now and then, but when I do, I don't add any other ingredients.
That display of those mugs and cups, sure is beautiful!
I love what it says on that pillow!
All your photos are great, thanks for posting them, I really enjoyed seeing them!
Thank you, may you have a day of much peace and happiness!
You sure have had some rugged weather - I really do enjoy all of your pictures Valerie. That hail in your hand looks like cotton - very cold cotton!
ReplyDeleteSandy xx
Hi Sandy, great to see you around again, missed you!
DeleteYour tag is lovely. Great sea theme. Fantastic architecture in your photos. I also liked that lion statue. The coffee looks delicious. Wow for that hail photo, with the blue skies on the other side of it. Amazing. Sounds like some crazy weather.
ReplyDeleteWhat a charming town and bakery too. I should so like to walk a street that looked like that! Loved the shop windows. It looks like a grand day out. The hail? Not so grand!
ReplyDeleteDein Mermaid-Tag gefällt mir sehr gut. Mit der Fotostrecke zeigst du uns wieder viel Sehenswertes und Interessantes. Ratingen ist also einen Besuch wert. Klasse Fotos!
ReplyDeleteHier bei uns ist es momentan sehr kalt und die Heizung läuft wieder. Hoffe nach den Eisheiligen ist der Spuk vorbei.
Liebe Grüße
Sabine
Wow that certainly is extreme weather you're having! It's weird isn't it when the sun can be shining on one side, and hail stoning on the other. I love your tag, you have some brilliant elements in there. Have a very happy week, Sue x
ReplyDeleteOur weather in my part of the UK has turned cooler, but no snow or hail.
ReplyDeleteThose last few photographs showing sun on one side and hail on the other is amazing … as are the size of the hailstones.
Hope the weather improves for you during the week.
… also I did enjoy your art today.
All the best Jan
The mermaid tag looks beautiful, its a super new challenge theme.
ReplyDeleteThe cutlery on the cafe wall looks fantastic although I wouldn't like to keep that polished.
Lovely photos today, the cup stand looks super, I managed to get some photos of tea pots, but they are not as clear to see as yours.
What a mixture of weather, still you seemed to be enjoying the walks.
Those hail stones must have been quite noisy as the hit the balcony.
Happy T day wishes Valerie.
Yvonne xx
I'm with you about not wanting to polish that silver! And yes, the hailstones were very noisy!
DeleteOOOhhh Valerie .. What a so Gorgeous tag !! I´m impressed, it´s just Amazing, I love the wonderful background, the texture and the mermaid and every detail.
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are wonderful, thanks to much for sharing them with us. These cups and mugs are lovely. Beautiful old house, and ohhhhh, It´s so strange to see hail stones on the right hand of the tree, and no one on the left hand !!
I wish you a Happy T-day!
And send you big big hugs,
Caty
I love your mermaid tag. awesome photos as always-I enjoy them very much. wow crazy weather is all over the world I think. Happy T wishes Kathy
ReplyDeleteThan cafe in the old house looks like a fun stop, and I love how you stood the cookie up for the photo :) I like the colorful mugs you found in that shop window. Pretty! Your cloud photos are gorgeous! It's fascinating to think of you getting hail and sunshine so close to each other like that. Happy T Day!
ReplyDeleteFabulous tag and photos. The town looks amazing, so much more interesting than modern ones. Loved the shop with the cups and mugs, I'm have a weakness as far as mugs go, have a cupboard full of them.
ReplyDeleteHugs Wendy
Beautiful tag! Great theme, too. Lovely little café, and look at all those coffee/tea cups! Happy T Day1
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos, Valerie! Especially the one of hail stones falling on one side of the tree, but not on the other. Wow! Wonderful photos of architecture too. The picture of the shop window with different mugs is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love your walking outfit, despite the "sun shades." Your tag is great. I love the depth of it. Happy T-day! Eileen xx
of course I love the new Tag Tuesday theme:) Great tag to start the challenge. What another lovely town to see! And what beautiful cups in the window display. But hail- oh my- no- be gone! Hope it warms up again for you. Happy T day!
ReplyDeleteWow. That is pretty severe weather, especially if some areas got all that snow. This weather is just getting crazier. And i love the new tag and the new theme. I have some good ideas already. I take it your photos were before the bad weather. It still looks wonderful out though in your photos. Happy walking and have a great T day. Hope your weather is better. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteOh and I love the new header too!
ReplyDeleteooohh was für ein wunderschönes meerestag und die bilder deiner umgebung sind klasse,die eisbettwäsche mit dem kissen drauf,gefällt mir sehr.
ReplyDeletekuchen essen macht spass,im kh bei uns ist eine tolle bäckerei,immer wenn ich da bin kaufe ich marzipantorte,yami!
eine feine neue woche für dich.
hugs jenny
WOW, Valerie! Your weather sounds like it was awful!! Those are some huge hail stones! I am glad that you are ok. Your photos are absolutely beautiful as always, my friend. I love the photos of the beautiful clouds!!! And your art work is so gorgeous! I love the colors and your composition is simply amazing. I hope you are feeling good!! HUGS!
ReplyDeleteMy sincere apologies. I'm leaving this message for everyone. I had to take my friend Sally to the emergency room Monday afternoon. I stayed with her until the ER doctors ran several tests, then admitted her to the hospital. When I got home, I found my basement was flooded from the many rounds of rain we are having. I'm still getting water out because I have no sump pump. I'll be back by to share T just as soon as I have the water under control, because I don't want mold to set in. For those of you who may not know, Twin Peaks is a sports bar that specializes in busty young, scantily clad female servers.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, it sounds like you're having real fun just now. Poor Sally!
DeleteHi Valerie, I love your tag and your coffee and biscuit look delicious.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if you had the same weather as England, our son took our GS to a wildlife park and they had to shelter in the reptile house from the hail stones and they were piled at the side of the road as they drove home.
Hope the weather is warmer for you now, Happy T Day
Jan x
Sounds just as crazy as our weather here! Today is friendlier!
Delete10" of ice and snow....yikes!
ReplyDeleteLove the Aquaman Tag:) Well at least that is what came to mind when I saw it:) It's gorgeous. And the picture of the different cups. Cups and mugs are always so much fun.
Good pics of you and your friends.
Have a great day.
Hugs
What a nice post. Beautiful art, and the photos took me on a vacation. 10" of snow? NOOOO. LOL I too would love that large table setting for my kitchen wall. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful tag! The cafe and bakery that you found looks wonderful and I hope you enjoyed that biscuit with your coffee too - delicious 😁. The town that you visited looks amazing, I loved seeing all the historic buildings and the lion statue is stunning! Those cloud pictures are so atmospheric and wow, that hailstone looked lethal, glad you got undercover until it had passed 😀. Such lovely photos of you and your friends too! Happy T Day! J 😊 x
ReplyDeleteThose hail stones are large. We had quite the hail storm the other night. It was so loud on the roof.
ReplyDeleteYour tag is so beautiful but my favorite part is that mermaid against the textured background. Lovely!
That town is quaint and beautiful. I love the restored house turned cafe.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
Oh my goodness, you have had some weird weather. Hail on one side and blue skies on the other.
ReplyDeleteLove the photos from your walk with those enormous cloud formations. And of course Ratingen is beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing all those beautiful buildings and their details. I love doors, as you know, and the white door in the blue house is fascinating. I'm still trying to figure out what the code means at the top of the door (20+C+M+B+13, 20+C+M+B+16. 20+C+M+B+12).
This is my second comment to you. I wrote one this morning but it has not come through. Now I am at my computer and that usually works. We are going on holiday on Thursday for more than two weeks, so I won't be able to comment at all, as I won't have a computer at my disposal.
Wishing you a happy T-Day,
Lisca
As promised, I've returned. I think your tag is lovely. The colors you chose are so appropriate, and the images are great. The waves are so appropriate for your lovely mermaid.
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed with that bakery/coffee shop. Like you, I was drawn to those utensils on the wall. Very clever. The cappuccino and cookie you got in that lovely establishment in Ratingen is wonderful. I also loved the mugs, especially the ones with covers that can also be used as coasters. Beautiful shops.
Your weather is much like mine right now. I'm simply taking a break because we are in the midst of another round of rains and flash floods. Thanks for sharing your coffees with us for T this week, dear friend. Again, sorry I'm late visiting.
Sorry you are having such a rough time just now. The weather all over the world is going crazy.
Deletethanks for trying the puzzle today Valerie, the answer is 43. boot=5 points, the man =5 points, a telescope=2 points. 5 = ((5+4+10) x 2) =43. The last man is a bit different, notice he is wearing 2 extra boots and carrying 2 telescopes. It is a good puzzle more about noticing the details I think.
ReplyDeletesorry that should read 5+((5+4+10) x2) = 43
DeleteThanks for the solution, Christine!
DeleteHello dear Valerie!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, that tag is just mermie-licious!(sic) I love everything about it and such a great theme to start Tag Tuesday with!
From your photos, you are looking so well! That makes my heart happy, as i have not checked on you in some time.
Holy Moses with the hail and No hail photos! How crazy is that? Yes, Mother nature does like to play her tricks-lol
I think of you often,and so appreciate your thoughtful cards,thank you.xx
Hoping all else is well in your world,and sending you big hugs!
Hi Valerie! I absolutely ADORE your photos and LOVE that I have been seeing YOU in the frame lately!!! And both of your works of art are absolutely gorgeous - so different from each other, but beautiful at the same time. I am sorry to hear that your fingers are still giving you discomfort - I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers! HUGS to you, my friend!
ReplyDeleteHail stones and blue skies! Crazy! I'm sorry about the weather! I love your art piece! Your coffee and cookie photos, always make me hungry! LOL! I love your photos so much! They show a piece of your country to me and that truly means so much to me! Just so beautiful! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteWell done for finding such a nice place for coffee in Ratingen! It looks like a lovely town to visit! I loved your two way weather photo - we had a similar thing at the caravan last year! The hailstones looks though they could knock you out if you were caught in the storm!! I think I need to get a mer-move on to make a tag!!! Hugs, Chrisx
ReplyDelete