Insta – Natasja Sadi

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Jan 8

Sugarflowers to wish you a happy Saturday. We are still on the road. Thank you so much for all of you joining me. In my instastories Koh Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee) The reason we took this trip. I longed to visit over the summer when we were in Phuket but it was still closed after more than three years. Rightfully so as the island had gotten overcrowded and polluted. March 2020 changed everything. And Nature was given time to heal. I read in the news somewhere in September that there were plans of opening up in January. I mentioned this to my husband and said.. what if? But we were just there he said. I knew he was right but something inside me kept pushing. I know, I know…. We have work to do and this is a crazy thought but what if… a girl can dream right? By October I mentioned it again and this time my husband knew I was serious. We took the risk and booked early flights not knowing how the world would look like three months later. No fancy hotels just the basics. All I wanted for Christmas was Koh Phi Phi. I feel so fortunate to be here in Phuket and I’m so happy we took the plunge. These weeks have been beyond my wildest dreams. I don’t often do these sorts of things but when I do it helps me to think: what is the worst that can happen? Often the good outweighs the worst. My wildest dream in my instastories. I have posted Phuket so far on my page in highlights. Only a few more days until this adventure is over. What a ride. Back to sugarflowers soon. Life is sweet.
#sugarflowers #littlestoriesofmylife #instastories #wildestdreams #currentmood

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Jan 2

Happy Sunday and happy new year everyone. Hope you had the most wonderful holiday break. Spent with family, friends or alone, we can all say that we have made it. Sending all my best and warmest wishes, I hope 2022 will be everything and more than you ever hoped for. I never would have thought that I would share my flowers with all of you. I can’t tell you how much joy your connections here have given me. Thank you so much for all your love.
A crazy idea a couple of months ago turned out to be the best decision. I will be traveling, having a dream come true. I will keep you posted in stories.
Roses and chrysanthemums in @anthropologieeu Old Havana Tureen. Have a lovely Sunday and magical new week and year everyone. Never stop dreaming, never stop believing.
#happynewyear2020 #roses #chrysanthemum #currentmood

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Dec 24

My kitchen, my favorite space where all the magic happens. Christmas this year unlike any other. No large crowds but only because we care about one another. Stay safe everyone. There is always light after darkness and sunshine after rain. Some day (soon) my kitchen will be filled with family, friends and laughter again. We have so much to celebrate when all this is over. Happy holidays from my home to yours❤️
#happyholidays #merrychristmas #currentmood

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Dec 19

Happy Sunday from my home to yours. There was a rumor when I went to the market yesterday for my weekly flowers and groceries. A hard lockdown as of next morning. For some reason trying to entertain this unpleasant thought it made me focus on all the sunniest, colorful roses offered. I know being surrounded with bright colors will keep us merry in once again unprecedented times. The announcement in the evening confirmed. The Netherlands is in a hard lockdown as of today. Not enough words to describe the sadness by and for many in these days so close to Christmas. Choosing who or not to visit because of safety another difficult one. I know Christmas is once again not the celebration many had hoped it would be. A challenging time for some, don’t hesitate to reach out or to sent that message. A few comforting, warm words can make such a difference. One thing I know for sure, this too shall pass. Above all, be safe everyone. Sending roses and all my love. Have a lovely Sunday and happy healthy holidays.
#flowers #roses #colorlove #merryandbright #currentmood

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Dec 19

Red ilex berry branches as cookie tree. Pretending not to notice, every time I look there are a few cookies missing. Christmas gingerbread baking for comfort and joy. Just like flowers there is no such thing as too many cookies. Up next my Sunday flowers, merry and bright.
@anthropologieeu
#cookies #christmasdecor #allaglowwithanthro #currentmood

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Dec 12

Happy Sunday from my home to yours. Fall flowers in Delftware vase. Blue and white will always be a favorite but I also have a weakness for red and gold Imari Delftware especially now as we are getting closer to Christmas. Roses, dahlias, chrysanthemums, scabiosa and…bittersweet.
An emotional week for me this week. One of our neighbors has moved. Not out of town and we will see them again but not having them close will change things. Listed as “rescue parents”, they were the ones to receive a call from school incase there was an emergency with our children. No such call was ever made but the thought of them being there just in case was incredibly reassuring. Birthdays or Christmas, they would leave gifts in the hall. I know this wasn’t goodbye but I’m always reminded how it isn’t only family that can give you a sense of connection. It is true what they say. Better to have a good neighbor than a distant cousin. Of all the things in our lives it is the friendships we make that are the most valuable.
Wishing you a happy Sunday and a wonderful new week everyone. Happiness is sometimes close to home.
#flowers #friends #roses #currentmood

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Dec 9

What spring dreams are made of by @clausdalby Rarely will you see me reposting someone else’s work but tomorrow Friday December 10th at 8pm (CET) I’m honored to be invited for a live chat with the wonderful gardener extraordinaire Claus Dalby from Denmark. His garden a dream come true for every flower enthusiast. We will chat flowers and so much more. I hope you will join us! Enjoy his gallery, he is most definitely a star that makes this place so much brighter.
Have a lovely Thursday everyone. I truly hope to see you all tomorrow.
#onetofollow #clausdalby #flowerfriends #instagramlive #currentmood

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Dec 5

Happy Sunday from my home to yours. Cake and flowers because we always have something to celebrate. Is it me or does time fly faster in the month of December. I can’t believe we are in the last month of the year. The scent of tangerine this week made me stop and inhale deeper. I can not tell you the relief I felt having my sense of smell returning. There is a little bit more every day. I never knew what life would be like without experiencing fragrance. I never knew how deeply our emotions are associated with smell. To be able to smell the people you love, your favorite food or the crispness of a morning outside. Now that it is returning I couldn’t be more grateful. Although I feel it every day, I don’t use the word grateful often because of fear it will lose its significance. Most of the time I will say happy or excited or thrilled instead. But often times using those words, I actually mean grateful. There is no substitute for describing how I feel other than that I’m immensely grateful for having my sense of smell and my health back. Have a lovely Sunday and happy healthy new week everyone. Don’t wait for special days or festive occasions. Have that piece of cake. Time flies. We are here to celebrate every day.
#cakelove #flowerlove #roses currentmood

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Nov 28

Happy Sunday from my home to yours. Thank you so much for all your well wishes on my post from last week. If we have our health we have so much to be thankful for. Playing catch up for time lost with work I’m only posting flowers from Saturday market this week. Baking and sugar flowers will resume to normal as of next week. I’m feeling better every day now and so is the rest of my family. I hope everyone celebrating had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving. One of the things I have found so heartwarming when we were ill and bound to our home was the kindness of friends and others like freshly baked, warm croissants left on our doorstep and offerings of help. I’m always in awe of my children’s teachers but after these past weeks I love them even more. They have been so incredibly helpful to make sure our children didn’t fall behind in school and keep them from loneliness. Every morning they were able to log in and attend the class. Being able to join their friends and class mates has been a total rescue for them and for me. It takes a very big heart, teachers are doing a Herculean job. They say there is no substitute for the virtual world but modern technology these days does make all our life better and more beautiful. I have lost my sense smell but I noticed that it is coming back little by little. Roses this week so I can train my senses back to health.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone. Thank you so much for all your kindness. It means the world to me.
#roses #healthiswealth #currentmood

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Nov 28

Golden hour at sunset and flower bike from the @flowerbikeman Anyone who has ever visited Amsterdam must have seen these bikes around our city. What started as an act of love for one developed into a joyful share for all. Warren aka flower bike man decorated the bike of his wife Michelle because of her life threatening disease that also sadly causes her to have memory loss. To make sure she would find her bike again Warren decorated her bike with flowers so she would always find her bike and her way home. The reaction to her bike evoked such positive response that one flower bike turned to two and many more. Often times people donate flowers and money. There are now well over 80 flower bikes in our city. Warren doesn’t only use the donations for flowers but also for the homeless in our town.
I took this pic when I brought my daughter to her art class at the Rijksmuseum. There is always some time for me kill between drop-off and pick up. There is a fancy shopping street near by but if you go right at this bridge you can go to one of my favorite neighborhoods. It is where I can eat best Surinam food and have freshly baked ‘stroopwafels’. If there is a choice between fashion or food…I’ll always go for food. Small steps but I’m almost back to my old self again. Next week will be all about baking and flowers. Bikes, baking, food and flowers. Favorites in random order. Up next my Sunday flowers.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone. Don’t forget to enjoy the small stuff.
#flowerbike #flowerbikeman #amsterdam #currentmood

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Nov 21

Happy Sunday from my home to yours. It has been a while since last time I was here. There is a covid surge in the Netherlands at the moment. For almost two years our lives have evolved around the virus. With young children in school it is difficult to take precautions. I know I would have lost in any popularity parent contests for the times I said no because I wanted our family to be safe. But despite all our best efforts we became a statistic. It was my daughter who first said she felt she had a slight headache. Although feeling a little worried I didn’t make the connection. The next day at the end of Sunday I was the one feeling tired. Nothing an early night wouldn’t fix I thought. Waking up the next morning I knew something was not ok. I took a home test and it came out positive. I’ve lost count the times I did such tests but to actually see it turn positive was a moment I will never forget. My husband drove us all to the nearest facility and a few hours later it was confirmed that both my daughter and I were positive with Covid. My husband and son tested negative although this changed later in the week. I have been sick. Truly sick and I consider myself fortunate to be fully vaccinated because I don’t know how I would have been otherwise. I know IG is about feel good and happiness. So please take my story as a happy ending. I know colder months are ahead and there are memorable holidays in store. Please be careful everyone. Take precautions, ventilate etc. This virus is no joke.
I’m not there yet but my fears have gone. What I didn’t want to happen, happened anyway. I’m so grateful for slowly getting our health back.
Simple chrysanthemums and luxury David Austin Roses. Two extremes just like life, we have to love and appreciate both.
Stay safe everyone❤️

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Oct 24

Happy Sunday from my home to yours. Still at home. My daughters quarantine the previous week was followed by autumn break this past week. A staycation where we had to be resourceful to come up with a good time. I’m working on something that needs all my attention and the rain this past week didn’t make it any easier for all of us. “Why can’t we go away like everyone else?” Lots of thoughts and guilt went through my mind but the only way to get through moments like these is to talk, share and explain things while listening with an open heart in return. I understood their feelings of friends having a better time than they were having. There will always be someone better, greater than you. It is so natural to look at those who seem to be more fortunate. I tried to remind my children of the abundance in our lives and at the end of the conversation they understood and apologized. There is no need I said. This conversation was as much a reminder for you as it was for me. Funny how children sometimes function as a mirror.
I noticed that when kids long for trips from the past, you have to not only ask them why but ask for specifics because sometimes it is about something small that can be done at home. My children mentioned that one hotel in Phuket had the best waffles for breakfast and how they wishes they could go back. I went on line and bought a waffle pan. Trying out different recipes, these past couple of days we have been baking waffles for breakfast every morning. The waffle pan for 29 euro’s saved me. It was the best money spent.
A few flowers from Saturday market to wish you a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week. The grass is always greener on the other side. We just have to bake a few waffles.
#falllove #dahlias #anemones #currentmood

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Oct 17

Happy sunday from my home to yours. We were homebound for days. Just when I thought (and announced here) our lives had returned to normal, news broke and we were back to homeschooling our daughter because her class had to quarantine. All tests in our household came back negative (huge relief) but life again was back to improvising, changing schedules and making the most. Not… Again…was most certainly on my mind, but in the end all you really want is negative tests and everyone to be healthy. Fall is here with chrysanthemums and roses. Life is what happens while you are making other plans. Lots of work behind the scenes, I hope this offering from Saturday’s market is welcomed. Have a lovely Sunday and happy, healthy new week everyone.
#falllove #chrysanthemums #roses #dahlias #currentmood

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Oct 17

Pumpkin in the city. Fall is here and I’m enjoying every moment. The leaves turned golden and there is beauty on every corner. The blue money box for those passing by who would like to chip in and contribute to the magic. Every time I pass I’m so happy (and relieved) it is still there. Everyone understands we should always honor beauty and magic. Sending love from Amsterdam.
#amsterdam #fallishere #pumpkinlove #currentmood

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Oct 3

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Dahlias from my friends @famflowerfarm I’m always so grateful for these dedicated, passionate growers. Working with the most beautiful dahlias always a dream come true. These last few weeks have been incredibly intens. There were days where I needed more than 24hrs each day. Life has returned to normal. Teaching, visits, client proposals, and managing familylife just like the old days. It has been over 18 months since the world came to a stop and now it already sometimes feels like those days are a distant memory. My apologies for the little radio silence. So many times where I longed for normal. I never would have thought I might have changed in the process and that I needed some adjusting to this new normal.
Dahlias to nurture, calm in inspire my mind. Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone. We are entering a new bright fase. Take all the time you need.
#famflowerfarm #dahlialove #dahlias #currentmood

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Oct 3

There is a beautiful house if you look closely. Visiting friends in high places last week. Heavenly dahlias @famflowerfarm Imagine this to be your home and garden. Field of dahlias or field of dreams if you ask me. More in stories. Thank you Marlies and Linda for having me. From farm to table, up next my Sunday flowers.
#famflowerfarm #onetofollow #fieldofdreams #dahlialove
#currentmood

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Sep 19

Dahlia’s and hydrangeas from Saturday’s market. In the Netherlands we are always surrounded by flowers. Even from an early age. I was so happy to volunteer for my daughter’s School Gardens ‘Schooltuinen’ class in Dutch. (More in instastories)
Each week they go to this large piece of land a short walk from the city center to have gardening lessons. I can still vividly remember mine when I was her age. The excitement days before. During these indoor and outdoor classes they learn all about vegetables and flowers. It not only changes their perspective of food in general but it also gives them more appreciating of nature. How wonderful it is to have your hands in the soil and care for ground to be rewarded with harvesting flowers and vegetables. It was so heartwarming for me to see these kids having such a good time. I was amazed at their flower arranging skills. Girls and boys creating the most fabulous combinations and structure. Flowers truly make all of us happier
Lots of work for me behind the scenes, leaving you with cosmos and white love in a mist. Have a lovely Sunday and blooming new week everyone.
#schooltuinen #flowerlove #hydrangeas #cosmos #dahlias #currentmood

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Sep 12

Happy sunday from my home to yours. My husband picked up our children earlier from school while I made myself ready to watch the @adamlippes fashion show in NYC. Because of the travel ban it was impossible for me to travel to the US and attend but luckily for live streaming it was possible for me to view. Has it started mom? They asked when entering. Almost I said without knowing into detail what we were about to see. The plus of children growing up with screens is that they are tech savvy. My son connected my phone to the big screen so we could all watch together with much anticipation. The music started and models in the most gorgeous garments flashed before our eyes. So many emotions started to wash over me that it was hard for me to speak. But my daughter said with a high voice “mom…. Those are your flowers…!” Yes I said. Yes..while trying to hold back tears.
My children know that I create sugarflowers. Our home is always filled with blooms. Being surrounded by plenty of flowers is not a big deal to them. Seeing dresses with Delftware and flowers even some printed with sugar flowers was a big deal. After we met and Adam explained his ideas for his S/S’22 Runway I understood the importance of his work and more importantly the significance of this moment. This stage had meaning. Me a black woman living in Amsterdam but born in Surinam a former Dutch colony was asked for her flowers for a NY fashion show. We all want to be seen but to be recognized in such a way was more than my heart and mind imagined. I never know when I post my flowers what might happen. We can only dream. This week a dream came true for me. Thank you Adam for believing in me and for offering your stage so generously. Thank you everyone for joining me on this floral journey.
Have lovely Sunday and wonderful new week everyone. Never stop dreaming.

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Sep 10

Adam Lippes Spring Summer ‘22 collection. I tried to come up with the words explaining how I feel right now but every word and every sentence feels insufficient. Just start at the beginning, my mind always tells me. How wonderful it was when I received that message so many months ago from Adam. It was him. No assistant, no staff, just him reaching out asking me if I would be open to a collab. I later found out how he himself received a call once from Oprah. He never forgotten how it made him feel to actually have her on the phone. If ever I had any reservations, those were out the window the moment we met. Not often do you meet someone so genuinely kind and generous. My flowers are a little bit like my children but I never had any doubt they were in the best hands with the best team. This Adam Lippes S/S’22 collection is nothing but a dream. A true fairytale come to life for me, I have been on a cloud ever since yesterday. A certain travel ban unfortunately kept me from flying to NYC for the Runway Show at the NY Fashion Week but my heart is bursting with joy in Amsterdam. Swipe to see a few designs of this amazing collection. Meeting in the middle of the pandemic we spoke about how this time was challenging for so many and how we could give back. Please read Adam’s words about his collection. I have put the link in my bio.
Thank you @adamlippes ❤️#adamlippesss22 #nyfw #manoloblahnik
#flowerlove #sugarflowers

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Sep 5

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Peonies in September, would you turn them away if you saw them offered at saturday’s market? I was lucky to find these gorgeous flowers this weekend. Flower prices have reached an all time high on the Dutch flower auction. More international demand than offerings. I wondered if this is because weddings and festive gatherings are finally happening again. This week is also fashion week. Stay tuned for some exciting news I can’t wait to share. Have a lovely Sunday and great new week everyone.
#flowers #fashion #peonies #roses #cosmos #scabiosa #currentmood

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Sep 5

Sugar flowers student work after a two day private class. These are the moments when I love my work the most. Sharing my love for flowers with others. From the stem to the stamen and every petal in between, every part is passionately discussed. These moments are about so much more than ‘just sugar flowers’ often they are dreams turned to reality. Life stories are shared and although I’m the one teaching I learn so much in return. For the first time in months I feel life is getting back to how I once knew. So happy for this past week and excited about the week ahead. Have a lovely Sunday everyone.
@dcepny
#flowerlove #sugarflowerclass #sugarart #teaching #currentmood

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Aug 29

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Summer flowers in a new ginger jar from Phuket. Almost every trip there is a piece of blue and white I brought home with me. That is the beauty of collecting these pieces. They always match. There was another ginger jar I loved, significantly lower in price. Difficulty deciding which piece to bring home the lady suggested I take this one. She explained why. This piece was not only older she said but it was also painted by a wonderful craftsman. This piece more unique because the men doing this paintwork become rare. Young people don’t want to learn this craft and the older generation creating these pieces are becoming less. The less expensive printed new piece will always be there she smiled. We also took home with us a beautiful silk bedspread. Same story. The sales man explained that some day this special embroidered fabric will become valuable because the people specialized in these techniques become more rare. Education is a good thing. It brings prosperity and health. I can imagine the younger generation wanting to have a better life than their parents. My son is one year away from high school. This is the time where school results begin to matter. Someone asked me if we knew which high school level my son was advised. I nodded and said yes with a smile but without answering the specifics of the question. We emphasize so much on academic results but don’t value enough true craftsmanship. Both my husband and I are creatives. Maybe it is easy for us to say. But I do hope that everyone can flourish in a way that suits them. Without the pressure of society. There will come a time where specialized workers become so rare, they will be the fortunate ones.
This week I will be welcoming the first students for sugar flower classes. Teaching, nurturing creativity brings such incredible joy. After 18 months of hardly any teaching I’m so happy life is getting back to normal more each day. Perhaps a few minutes, scale it up to a few hours, I hope creativity and creating with your hands will be part of your week.
Have a lovely Sunday and brilliant new week everyone.
#creativity #flowersalways #colorlove #summer #currentmood

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Aug 22

I have seen sunsets in Phuket that colored the sky in pink and blue. It reminded me that nature doesn’t care about color coordination, it just gives generously. Happy to be reunited with the flowers at home but the inspiration absorbed almost four weeks away from home, has left me recharged for a long time. Seeing flowers I have never seen before, food and fruits I never tasted before, feeling the waters of the Andaman Sea that were warmer than the outside, all of this leaves me floating for weeks to come. I underestimated how much I missed the warmth of the tropics.
Roses and dahlias the perfect flowers to feel home again.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone.
#dahlialove #flowersalways #colorlove #roses #currentmood

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Aug 22

Ma Doo Bua, Come to see the lotus in Thai language.
Lotus leaves and flowers I have never seen so big. Our trip to Phuket has been nothing but a dream. Every experience we were lucky to have has been out of this world. So many beautiful moments, sunsets, flowers, extraordinary food, I can go on. My heart and mind is filled with inspiration like never before. I never thought lightly of this trip but the paperwork it took to get here was worth every minute. The most difficult thing to capture in a photograph is the kindness of people. The Thai people turn hospitality into an art. They made us feel so incredibly welcome, it makes it difficult for us to leave. Home it is but with my heart in Phuket. Thank you to all who are joining me on my stories. Hope you don’t mind, there are still some moments I can’t wait to share. These lotus a highlight. They say that lotus even when in the dirtiest water can still produce the most stunning beautiful flower. A reminder to all of us that we don’t need perfect conditions to bloom and strive.
Have a beautiful Sunday and lovely new week everyone. Up next my Sunday flowers.
#phuket #lotusflower #happysunday #flowerlove #home #currentmood

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