Insta – Natasja Sadi

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Nov 22

Happy sunday from my home to yours. All the fall feels in a vase. Chrysanthemums with roses and hanging amaranthus. No flower speaks fall to me more than chrysanthemums. I adore these flowers. With so many new varieties and different colours it is difficult to choose a favorite. Because of lack of daylight with endless rain, sometimes feeling dark about the news, work on projects I hope to share soon, family affairs that needed my attention and an addiction to the ‘Queen’s Gambit’ (must watch) I’m sorry for having to miss a week on Instagram. I was even more sorry to see the new changes on IG when I returned. I wish I could say this new variety is a favorite. Just like every thing else in life, I’m sure I’ll get used to it. Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone. Wishing you continued health and a week filled with love.
#fallfeels #chrysantemums #roses #saturdaysmarket #colourlove #fall #currentmood

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Nov 22

There is a cookie store in the old city center of Amsterdam that sells only one (!) type of chocolate cookie. Normally you have to stand in the long waiting line to purchase. I cycled through town the other day and noticed there wasn’t a queue. Because of the waiting time it had been years since the last time I enjoyed this world famous chocolate cookie. Being the only customer I was in and out in seconds. With hardly any tourists the city is ours again. But without any restaurants or bars open the atmosphere feels different, strange even. I know this is temporary but after so many months, I miss the old times sometimes. My children were jumping up and down when they saw the unexpected chocolate suprise when I came home. At the risk of bragging, I know how to bake a cookie or two. But sometimes you have to support your local business in any way you can.
A row of Amsterdam Canalhouses that are anything but cookie cutter houses with the last fall leaves dancing in the water like confetti. There is a cord in this photograph right in the middle. The electrical foundations are laid this week for our annual Lightfestival. Different artists will showcase there work throughout the city using light as a medium. I’m relieved some things don’t change. Light over darkness always
Sending you a postcard from Amsterdam signing it with love, have a week filled with light and chocolate everyone.
#amsterdam #fallishere #currentmood

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Nov 8

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Roses as big as my hand, dahlia’s, carnations, monkshood and phlox.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone.
It is a new day filled with hope again.
#roses #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #colourlove #fall #currentmood

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Nov 6

Sugar flowers for Friday flowerday.
My son came down this week one morning, looked suprised and said, is the television STILL on??? We don’t watch that much tv so the fact that it was still on after so many hours (and now days) didn’t go unnoticed. The map of the US clear to see. My children 9 and 10 have received a crash course in the meaning of the colours blue and red, geography of states and places, functioning of electoral college, percentages and counting of votes and English language. They have seen my emotions and cheers going down and up in the past couple of days. While I’m writing this the scene described above has not changed.
But the most important lesson they have learned in these past days is that every vote matters. People matter. Living in a democracy comes with responsibility. You always have to vote, it is our duty.
With every vote counted and new number broadcasted they become more and more aware that no matter how small, you can make a difference. It is always inspiring to see when democracy is at work.
Until the final outcome is announced I don’t think I will be able to do much. But that is ok. Friday is here, the weekend is around the corner. For everyone who might need this. Hang in there. Sending all my love from Amsterdam.
#happyfriday #hope #fridayflowers #littlestoriesofmylife #currentmood

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Nov 1

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Some tulips from early spring from @passionfortulips No better way to say hello from Holland than with a bunch of tulips. Just wanted to let you know that in case you feel anxious or worried at the moment, you are not the only one. With lockdowns close to home and world events elsewhere, there is a lot to process. Sometimes working with flowers feels decadent or frivolous. But the truth is, when I’m in those moments, I do forget about the world for one brief moment making room for peace and happiness.
If only life could be one floral dream.
Did you know that when when you arrive in the Netherlands, Schiphol AirPort is 4 meters below sea level? Actively fighting climate change isn’t a choice for us in the Netherlands, it is imperative. We can have all the economic prosperity we want but if we are not taking care of the land we live on, there will be no place to live. Every ally joining our fights and causes deeply needed.
I’m planting these promising tulips bulbs in pots on my terrace at the moment. With each bulb pressing it in the soil, my mind produces hope. Hope for beauty in the spring and perhaps also an even better world than yesterday always. Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful peaceful new week everyone.
#tulips #beauty @passionfortulips #onetofollow #fromhollandwithlove #currentmood

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Oct 31

Happy saturday and happy Halloween. Spooky white sugar roses in the dark. I know for some, even without Halloween, the year 2020 has been scary enough already. But even after the darkest, scariest, most frightning night, the sun will always come out and light will shine bright. Another month gone, a new one giving us new chances. There will always be light after darkness.
Enjoy the weekend everyone.
#halloween #sugarflowers #saturday #happyweekend #currentmood

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Oct 25

Happy sunday from my home to yours. If only I could find the words to describe how happy it makes me that I get to share my flowers at home. Every Saturday morning when I take my bike and cycle to Saturday’s market along the Amsterdam canals, I’m always anxious to see the flower offerings from several market vendors. “Have you seen my beautiful roses...” one vendor asked when I was already assisted by one of his staff. No... which ones do you mean I said, my heart now filled with excitement. He proudly showed me the small soft pink, elegantly ruffled roses. He couldn’t have made me more happy. So much inspiration always from these blooms and the real icing on the cake... that I get to share them with you, from all over the world. Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone. Thank you.
#roses #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #colourlove #fall #currentmood

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Oct 25

Fall in my city. Like a fairytale the leaves are falling like glitter dust. Golden tones every where I look. You will find me on this bridge, every day when I pick up my children from school. Sometimes I’ll leave home a little earlier just so that I can enjoy the beauty of this spot. We may feel our world is rocking but nature always gives us gold right before our eyes.
Sending you a postcard from Amsterdam, signing it with love, have a lovely Sunday and week filled with gold everyone.
#amsterdam #fallishere #indiansummer #reflections #currentmood

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Oct 24

Sugarflowers for saturday to wish you a sweet weekend. There was a very funny meme I received in one of my WhatsApp groups. It was a picture of cute Kermit the Frog lying on his back, arms wide with despair where he is saying ‘I’m not turning my clock back this sunday. The last thing we need is an extra hour of 2020!’ It made me chuckle and feel like Kermit. Another Saturday without exciting plans because of rising cases but the sweet messages and funny memes make all the difference. We can do this together. Sometimes all it takes to make a difference, is just one kind message sent to someone in these times with drastic measures. Sometimes we don’t have a choice. I will stay safely on my sofa and I will ofcourse turn back the clock tonight. But always with the hope in mind that there will come a day (soon) where we will meet friends in restaurants to eat and drink the night away, dance at concerts and hug our loved ones like never before.
Have a lovely Saturday and beautiful weekend everyone.
#staysafe #newnormal #littlestoriesofmylife #sugarflowers #saturday #currentmood

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Oct 18

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Roses and dahlias from Saturday’s market. I took some time off in the past couple of days because my children had a week of fall holiday. With restaurants and bars closed because of lockdown Amsterdam feels different again. We stayed home, baked savory quiches and sweet brownies. Took a stroll in the forest to get some fresh air and to appreciate the beauty of fall (all in instastories). We are trying to make the most and just enjoy. Adapting each and every day to a new normal I noticed I had let go of colour coördination when choosing flowers. Purple dahlia’s (one of my favorite flowers) the only ones available, red/ orange roses stealing my heart the moment I laid eyes on them. A little chaos seeking balance in a vase. Exactly what life feels like at the moment.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful happy, healthy new week everyone.
#colorburst #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #roses #fall #currentmood

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Oct 11

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Roses and dahlias with the first big golden chrysanthemums. I have officially welcomed fall. Because of time management I usually go alone to Saturday’s market for flowers and our many groceries, but yesterday I took my daughter with me. I let her choose some of this weeks flowers. My children have a week of holiday so a few flowers in her bedroom are blooms well spent. She chose completely different varieties than I normally do. It was lovely to see her getting excited about her choices in particular the roses with the name ‘Miss Piggy’. She also enjoyed meeting all the vendors just as much as I did. We finished our rounds eating a double size portion of ‘poffertjes’ (Dutch dollar sized pancakes) with melted butter and icing sugar. We couldn’t have asked for a more festive start of the week. Finding happiness close to home. Stay safe, have a lovely Sunday and happy new week everyone.
#colorburst #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #roses #chrysanthemums #fall #currentmood

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Oct 11

They are always together, these two swans, swimming our canals. My neighborhood wouldn’t be the same without them. One of our oldest café’s dated (1642) on the corner. Open tents opposite, a new measure to socially distancing safely outside. A new way to make sure our café’s and restaurants can continue welcoming guests. This corner is one of my favorites in my neighborhood. A ray of light in between clouds and rainy spells. There is always sunshine after rain. Sending you a postcard from Amsterdam, signing it with love. Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone.
#takeaseat #amsterdam #fallishere #currentmood

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Oct 10

Sugar roses to wish you a sweet weekend. My children are having a fall holiday break this week. Lots of rain so far with the prospect of stricter measures or maybe even another lockdown in Amsterdam. Movies, popcorn, books and baking at home. Things could be worse. Appreciating the good (simple) things in life from our sofa. Flowers always close as a reminder that life is always beautiful.
#simplicityisbeauty #staysafe #newnormal #littlestoriesofmylife #sugarflowers #saturday #currentmood

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Oct 4

Happy sunday from my home to yours. That single red rose that was gifted from last week at Saturday’s market still going strong this week. Together with dahlias, zinnias, heliopsis burning heart, helenium, celosia, hydrangeas and a purple clematis freshly cut from my rooftop terrace. I have seen the first chrysanthemums but decided to come home with zinnias and dahlias (again). Fall is here in full force with strong winds and some rain. At the risk of becoming boring, I’m holding on to colour instead of fall tones for as long as I can.
Have a lovely Sunday and bright colourful new week everyone.
#redlove #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #zinnias #fall #currentmood

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Sep 30

Every Wednesday my son goes with his class to “the Schoolgardens”. A plot of land on the edge of a beautiful park, a little outside the city of Amsterdam. We drop him off by bike in the morning and parents volunteer walking back to school. The cutest sight, an entire class of children with large bags filled with flowers and vegetables. Around age of 9 during schoolhours they go to this piece of land where each child has their own small garden for the duration of a year. Caring for nature, they sow seeds for vegetables and flowers, watch them grow and learn all about nutrients and healing powers. I was lucky to volunteer when the kids had to make vinegar with a variety of herbs and chili peppers harvested from their own garden. They made their own pain relief cream from marigold flowers last week and this week they all made the most delicious soup. Kids who can sometimes be restless are calm and cooperative. They are all in it together, if one child is missing a crop because it didn’t grow well, another one offers their gardengold. It’s the small things that stayed with me. When harvesting leek, the headgardener didn’t only show how to safely pull it from the ground but also to release and give back the precious fertile soil. Informing that you can eat top to bottom for zero waste. At the end of each class kids are allowed to cut flowers from their garden and larger cutting garden. Girls and boys arranging bouquets for their moms and dads. What’s for dinner the fruits of what they bring home. This initiative celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. My husband and I can still remember going to school (in cities) and learn about gardening. For me it was actually the first time working with flowers learning the art of drying and pressing flowers at 9yrs. I can’t tell how happy it makes me that my children have the same experience. Our children as most Dutch children go to a public school, free of charge.
I have heard the word ‘socialist’ in a way that makes me wonder. We pay our taxes. Good education and healthcare are things I never have to worry about. These are basic human needs. What we sow has effect on everyone else.
Have a lovely Wednesday everyone.

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Sep 27

Happy sunday from my home to yours. There was a single red rose tucked inbetween the flowers I bought yesterday at Saturday’s market. There are several flower vendors I can’t wait to meet each week, but there is one sweet vendor that when wrapping my flowers always secretly puts in something extra, only for me to discover when I get home. A single red rose blooming in our home with so much meaning. There is another vendor helping out every other week. He is actually a physician working in a hospital but he loves working with flowers so much that for the past couple of years now he is of much value to his friends running a flower business. A doctor by day, a flower vendor every other Saturday. I was late the other day meeting a friend for coffee. On my way over to see her I stopped at a flowerstall on the corner of our street to get some flowers for my dear friend. The vendor asked how I was doing. Ok I said, always keeping myself busy. Be grateful he said there are so many out there who have to go through hardship because of Corona. I listened to some stories he shared. Struggles from some of his clients barely surviving, keeping their business afloat. These stories matter. Jumping on my bike later than scheduled with the first tulips in my basket I waved at our mailman. Always hello with a smile. We found out one day that our mailman is actually a professor emeritus in physics. As a way to keep fit and healthy he decided to deliver the mail after retirement. Doing rounds cycling, walking, carrying weight of envelopes. Peoples stories are always the greatest gift to receive. I can feel inspired for days hearing them, experiencing kindness. Flowers from Saturday’s market, real blooms the base of everything I do, please swipe for a sugar dahlia on the left inspired by a real dahlia on the right.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone.
#lifestories #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #falllove #currentmood

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Sep 20

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Still dahlia’s while they last. These blooms never cease to amaze me. With record temperatures of more than 30C/86F this past week in the Netherlands, every week could be the last time this season dahlias are offered. I’m enjoying this weather but climate change is worrying.
Flowers from Holland with love. Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone.
#pinklove #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #falllove #indiansummer #currentmood

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Sep 20

Breathing space
One of my favorites, dahlia Jowey Winnie @famflowerfarm So lucky to have visited these fields this past week. The most perfect stunning dahlias as far as the eye can see. I love Amsterdam, but seeing the horizon filled with flowers every now and then is the absolute best. A perfect Indian Summer at the moment, so much to love.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone. Don’t forget to catch some breath every now and then.
#famflowerfarm #friendsinhighplaces #dahliaseason #dahlialove #currentmood

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Sep 6

Happy sunday from my home to yours. At home all week because of the flu this week. In bed most days. It didn’t feel any different than any other flu I occasionally have. But just to be safe I took a coronatest on Thursday. Within 48 hrs a call with the negative result answer. Although deep down I knew, there was ofcourse much relief with this positive news. It did make me wonder... fall is around the corner and more colds and flu’s are going to be part of our life. In the old days, despite a fever, I would have just taken some paracetamol medicine to keep going. This was my initial thought this week but new measures demand us to stay home for the safety of others. It was the first time feeling sick and just giving in. No sugarwork this week but I did manage to make it to Saturday’s market yesterday. Another week of colour and brightness, feeling much better now. Wishing you a lovely Sunday and bright healthy new week everyone.
#colourburst #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #zinnias #summerlove #currentmood

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Sep 6

Amsterdam in the fall on a Sunday. Please swipe for the complete picture of this photograph. A father learning his children how to bike. Sundays are perfect for these type of activities. My children are old enough to cycle on their own but these sort of scènes always bring back beautiful memories. Excitement, fear and letting go...Learning them how to ride on the canals of Amsterdam. Riding my bicycle is always the best way to enjoy Amsterdam. It is called the city of bikes for a reason. Noticing the transition of summer into fall, wishing you a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone.
#cycleoflife #cityofbikes #goinggreen #amsterdam #whilecycling #sundayscenes #canalsofamsterdam #currentmood

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Aug 30

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Colour burst in our home from Saturday’s market. We had the most dreadful storm last Wednesday in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam and along the Dutch coastline fallen trees because of the forceful wind with heavy rain. The worst combination possible for flowers. So much sympathy for all these growers who had lost some floral crops this week. Making the most of what was offered. Colour always the easiest way to brighten any day. Wishing you a lovely Sunday and bright colourful new week everyone.
#colourburst #saturdaysmarket #dahlias #roses #summerlove #currentmood

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Aug 28

Sugar roses to wish you a happy Friday and beautiful weekend. Hope you have a sweet time everyone.
#sugarflowers #flowerfriday #roses #botanicalart #currentmood

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Aug 23

Happy sunday from my home to yours. Lots of lisianthus with the tiniest sunflowers, gladioli, cosmos, Japanese chrysanthemum, and anemone. I was suprised to find tulips at Saturday’s market yesterday. Totally out of season. But this is Holland, any kind of flower at any given time. Never a plan when buying flowers. Surrender to what is offered always the best idea.
Have a lovely Sunday and beautiful new week everyone.
#summerflowers #sunflowers #flowerfriends #currentmood

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Aug 21

Sugar flowers for Friday flowerday. The first week of school has started. No accompanying our children to school and their new classrooms because of Covid measures. It feels different to start the new year not saying hello to our children’s new teachers and parents after the 6 week summerbreak. To prevent large crowds because of social distancing, we have to stop at the corner of the street, give them a kiss and wave them goodby. They are eager to let go. Fading in the distance with their friends starting this new year on their own. We all know by now that things can change from one day to the next so the fact that they are even having school is a gift. Every day this past week they came home with excitement and wonderful stories. But on Wednesday my son returned with his class to the schoolgardens. Harvesting fruits and vegetables from the seeds sown before summer. They all have to walk a few kilometers from these gardens, a little outside the city center, back to school with kilos of fresh produce in their bags. The entire class a most endearing sight for everyone to see. Today we made soup at home together from the biggest courgette we all had ever seen, lightly seasoned with chili peppers, onion and fresh herbs they grew themselves. Nature nurtures and feeds us. We are lost without it, these are the life lessons every child should have.
Sugarflowers from earlier this year. Inspiration, nature is everywhere, looking forward to seeing the flowers on Saturday’s market. Have a lovely Friday and beautiful weekend everyone.
#schooltuinen #natureiseverywhere #sugarflowers #happyfriday #currentmood

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