Chocolate and nuts - Easy and delicious

Today I made some pretty easy delicious little chocolates. They where so good, just needed to share this delicious simple candy with everyone! They are made in about 10 minutes, though you need to wait for about an hour before you can eat them.

 

Ingredients.

for 15 pc.

2  Handfuls of chocolate drops*.

2 Handfuls of a nut-mix you like (I used hazelnut, walnut and raisins).

1 Pan with water.

1 Bowl that is able to resist heat.

That’s literary it! 

* if you can’t find chocolate drops, use pieces of normal chocolate bars (it melts less quick).

How its made.

First, you need to melt the chocolate ‘au bain Marie’. Literally translated from French: ‘In Maries bath’. Which basically means you need to heat up a pan with water, don’t boil it. Put in your heat-proof bowl and melt your chocolate in it.

 

After your chocolate is completely melted, take a tablespoon and make nice little drops on a piece of baking paper (do you call it baking paper? It sounds really weird…I don’t know, how do you call that greased paper for baking?).  Make the drops about 3 cm wide. Then wait about an hour. Don’t try to put hem in your fridge, there will get condensation on your chocolates, you don’t want that.

After an hour they should be ready to eat!

Enjoy!

X.

 

ps.

If you are a blogger, please check out my blogger project. You can help me AND get your link featured in my (our) book!

http://glipho.com/dutch-story/to-all-bloggers-who-like-a-challenge

200 followers giveaway!

 

Yes! its finally time again! I had promised you guys to do another giveaway as soon as I hit 200 followers! Go follow me and enter the giveaway!

I will personally put all of your names on a piece of paper and put them all in a bag. I pull out ONE of the names out on Friday April 19th!

How to enter:

1. Make sure you are following me (on glipho), if you’re not, you can’t win.
2. Comment on this post where you would take this camera if you would win.
3. Wait for one week. I will give you guys until Saturday.
4. If you don’t have an e-mail somewhere on your profile or blog, please put it in the comment.
5. You will make a bigger chance to win if you share this article on twitter too! I will put your name in the bag two times if you have shared it! If you do, please write #TheDutchStory in your tweet so I can find it!

That’s easy right? Now let me show you what camera you can win!

The concord 118.

This is such a fun camera! I brought a similar one with me to Turkey last year and had so much fun taking beautiful pictures! I highly recommend you to bring it with you on vacation. Its so small (just over 10cm wide and 2cm high) it fits in your pocket! Your own little spy camera! It uses 110mm film. You can buy film here. This maybe looks like an ugly camera to some people, but it really takes cool pictures. I’ll show you some later on.

Oh almost forgot! This camera takes almost square pictures! Personally, I love square pictures, they remind me of the polaroid. (development is WAAAY cheaper with this camera)

 

Here are some pictures taken with almost the same camera :

 

WOOHP!!

I love the vintage touch to these pictures!

Have fun entering this!

If you haven’t entered my analogue project yet, go have a look at that too!

Just clink the link and read all about it! :)

http://glipho.com/dutch-story/to-all-bloggers-who-like-a-challenge

 

 

Have a nice weekend!

X.

analogue review–polaroid image 2 (spectra)

Here is another camera review! I really really really love this camera and I just HAVE to share this one with you guys! Look at this pretty thing! The polaroid image 2.

 

The polaroid image2 is a camera from the spectra system that started in the 80s. Spectra was a totally new line of cameras and used a new sort of film. A rectangular 9.2 x 7.3cm rather than 600 film's square format. Apart from the format, the the film is exactly the same. ISO, development and operation.

This system of cameras also had better lenses in the cameras. The Spectra/Image series also has many optional accessories, such as close-up lenses and special effects filters.

Spectra film came with 10 shots per pack. After 10 shots, the camera went into EOP (end of pack) mode. Spectra film is also known as 1200 or Image film in some markets, and there are high definition and grid-marked versions available.

I do not recommend you to buy the old films. the chance your film turns out good is not really big. Most of the time there will be brown-ish spots on the picture.

You can get film from the impossible project. Those work pretty good. The film is a bit light sensitive so make sure that you put you film in a dark place for a few hours after making your picture. Also, if you’re taking pictures outside in the cold, make sure to put you picture in a warmer place, for example the pocket of your vest.

Have fun looking for this one, cause I know you want it too! :)

Don’t forget to enter my analogue project! :)

http://glipho.com/dutch-story/to-all-bloggers-who-like-a-challenge

 

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Analogue camera review–The Praktica super tl 2

I got some new cameras from my grandma a few weeks ago. The cameras where from my grandpa and have been sitting there in a box for years. I am so happy to have them now.

Here is one of them. The Praktica TL 2. I did a review on my Practika super TL 1000 a few months ago (click here). This camera is actually quite the same. This camera is older though. It uses 35mm film. It was produced in 1975 and stopped 3 years later. Praktica produced about 15.000 of these cameras. The model was produced to use up existing stocks of older parts. Praktica wanted the camera to have a low price. In order to get to that low price, they made the camera pretty basic. That’s why the camera lacks a 1/1000 sec shutter speed and self-timer.

Over all, this camera is basic, but pretty good. because it doesn’t have that much specifications the camera is not very hard to use.

The value of this camera is between 50 and 100 dollars, depending on what state the camera is in.

I could not find a commercial of this camera, sorry for that.

That was another little camera review! Hope you liked it!

If you like analogue photography, or are interested in getting your blog featured in a book, please help me by entering an awesome project!

Its basically about a little yellow camera, traveling around the world in 30 bloggers. Each blogger gets the camera one week, and takes one picture. Then the blogger sends it to the next blogger. At the end I will make a book with all the pictures from around the world.

Want to participate?

Read more: --->  http://glipho.com/dutch-story/let-the-fun-beginbloggers-get-ready

Enter right now: ----> http://www.enquetemaken.be/toonenquete.php?id=143637

 

Have a nice weekend!

X.

Let the fun begin–bloggers, get ready!

I was amazed how much positive feedback and amazing ideas I got from you guys! Thank you so so SO much! I have been working on a site to give you guys the opportunity to enter the challenge!

If you don’t get what I’m saying, please check out this post: CLICK

So… here it is! Please enter this challenge, we are going to have SO much fun!

Besides, I had one other idea for you guys! I am going to send a little notebook with the whole package. You can write down one line that will be placed by your picture. It could be a quote, it could be just a funy thing you said the day you took the picture. That’s all yours to decide. as long as it has SOMETHING to do with the picture. Also, I want you to put the date, place and time you took the picture in the notebook so I can put that in the book too!

So what are you doing here? GO ENTER NOW!!!!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

follow me on facebook:

www.facebook.com/thedutchstory

To all bloggers who like a challenge.

 

A week ago, I got a huge box with old cameras from people who didn’t want them anymore. As I was searching trough all the vintage stuff, I stumbled upon a nice yellow “toy camera” as  I would call it. This thing is worth completely nothing and is quite indestructible. That made me think. What if I do a little analogue picture project? What if I would do that with a bunch of other bloggers all over the world… all with this one little camera?

I will start with a review of the camera, of course. Than I would like to make a site where you can enter this project. It would be fun if other bloggers enter the project by entering their name, blog and country to the site. All the information will be private and can only be read by me. Then I will pick random from bloggers about 30 different countries and make a route trough –for example- Europe. Each blogger will get the camera one week and takes just ONE picture with it and then sends it to the address I will give the blogger trough the mail. The selected bloggers take a picture of –for example- something that THEY think is typically for their country( = not Amsterdam for Holland, or the Eiffel tower for France) . The last one on the list has to send the camera back to me and I will develop the pictures. After development, I will produce a few books showing the bloggers’ pictures and bloggers’ name/site ( = free advertisement for your blog). The 30 bloggers get a free copy. Others can buy one if they want.

What do you guys think? Does this sound like fun? Let me know in the comments!

If you like the idea, give me some ideas on how to call the book and project.

Maybe something like “The Journey Of Nikashi” (Nikashi is the name of the camera)

Or just “Take Me Around The World”

What theme do you want this challenge to be?

favorite food, typically *your country*, or something else?

Maybe we have to name the camera?  What would you name this camera?

Let me know!

Have fun brainstorming with me (or not)!

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Top 5 most original cupcakes

I love to bake. I especially love to bake anything sweet. So I was looking for some new cupcake recipe inspiration on the internet. Browsing trough some recipes I came to the conclusion that there are a lot of crazy cupcake ladies and gentlemen out there who make the most awesome cupcakes ever.

Here is my top 5 most awesome cupcakes I found:

1. The hamburger cupcake.

These cupcakes look awesome! It must be a lot of work making these, cause they look a lot like real hamburgers. Don’t want to eat them thought. The thought of tasting a hamburger and a cupcake doesn't go very well together in my head.

2. Cookie monster cupcakes.

I know a lot of you may have seen these already cause I have seen pictures of these al over the internet. But you have to admit, they are pretty awesome!

 

3. Knit cupcakes.

The person who made these must love knitting too! These are awesome! So many details!

 

4. A cup of flowers.

These cupcakes are to pretty to eat. I actually know how to make those little roses. Maybe I’ll write a post about how to make them some time. Let me know if you want me to.

 

5. Panda cupcakes.

I really don’t care what you think about these. I like pandas.

 

That was my top 5 most awesome cupcakes. Hope you liked it! If you did,let me know by leaving a comment. If you want more, follow this blog, like my Facebook page or follow me on twitter!

www.facebook.com/thedutchstory

@LenLand

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway!

http://thedutchstory.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/admission-product-design-record-player-giveaway-reveal/

Have a nice day!

X.

Time for a giveaway!!

In a few weeks I’ll be back to blogging completely, right now I’m studying for my final exams and some resits. I’ve got just enough time to do a little giveaway for you guys!

I have made these little storage trays for you guys! I’m giving away two! So there will be two winners this time! The first one I will be giving away this week, the next one the week after.

This giveaway is going to be a bit different than the other giveaway, but just as simple. I am not going to pick someone from my Glipho account only, since I’ve got some followers on WordPress too.

Its still simple, follow the steps here:

1. Follow my blog on my Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/TheDutchStory 
2. Like the giveaway post on Facebook.
3. Comment (on the Facebook post “click here”) which of the trays you want (number).
4. Wait one week to see if you won! I’ll contact you the next weekend if you won, and I’ll do a “and the winner is…” blog post.

 

So here is what you can choose (you can only choose one!)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Its that simple! So go comment which one you want and like this Facebook post and my Facebook page!

Have a nice week!

x.

Admission product design-Record player-Giveaway reveal

I’m sorry I couldn’t blog for a while. I was so busy with school I just couldn’t find the time to write anymore. My final exams are in 6 weeks. Besides that, my grandma passed away a few weeks ago and we all had a pretty rough time… In about 2 months, I’ll have loads and loads of time to do fun stuff and blog about it. So here is a quick update on what happened the past weeks.

I did the admission for Product design in Arnhem. I have to wait 3 weeks to know if I got accepted. If I wont get accepted I will go to a photography school first, and then try again in a few years. But for now… fingers crossed.

I had to make a lamp for the admission. I was thinking on keeping the recycle design idea, since I really like to work with re-usable mass products. This time I made a lamp out of vinyl records.

 

 

 

After admission, I got a record player from my uncle! I am like CRAZY happy with it! I got about 100 records now, and I can play them very soon, I still need some amplifiers.

 

last, but not least, I promised you guys a giveaway… I am going to do the full post in the weekend. But I’ll show you guys what I will give away. AND… I will give away two! This time it is going to be a bit different, I’m going to pick people from my Facebook page… But more info will come in the next post!

Here is what I’m giving away:

So make sure to keep checking my blog for the giveaway! And don’t forget to like my Facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/TheDutchStory

 

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Admission for the Academy Of Art and Design.

I’m nervous and excited at the same time. A few weeks ago I filled in the admission papers for ArtEZ. The school for art and design in Arnhem. I signed myself up for product design. I would love to study that! I can’t just go do the study, unfortunately I will have to make a few assignments for the admission. And then hope I ‘ve got enough talent to get through! My assignments are:

1. Design and make a lamp.
2. Write something about some product designers that I admire. Why do you admire them, and why do you want to be a product designer.
3. Design and make a 1:6 model of a chair or couch. OR Design and make a fashion accessory.

I love the assignments! I can’t wait to start! I will have to go to Arnhem March 21st. Which is in the middle of my exams. So I hope I can make my exams and get to Arnhem in time. Its about an hour drive. AHHH!

I’m working on my first assignment right now. I’ll keep you guys posted on the results and updates.

I’ll post every assignment when it is finished!

OH! and because I’m not blogging a lot lately, I will make it up whit you guys by doing a fun giveaway! I’m not telling what it is yet… but it has everything to do with these:

 

Like my Facebook page for more updates and more giveaways!

http://www.facebook.com/TheDutchStory

 

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Analogue camera review–Agfa optima 3

I’m so excited about this camera! I got it from my grandparents, whose friends where cleaning up the attic when they found this camera. Thanks to my grandpa the camera didn’t end up in the garbage! THANKS

 

 

This is the Agfa optima 3. It is a 35mm camera and was introduced in 1960, I cant find when the camera production was stopped, does anybody know? Please comment!

It’s a pretty simple camera, with a few settings. If you don’t know much about analogue photography, this is a nice and cute camera to snap your pictures. You just put the setting on the lens on ‘A’ (automatic) and your almost good to go. Just switch the other settings on the lens on portrait, group or landscape. Its so simple because the camera has programmed auto exposure control.

 

If you like to play with some settings yourself, you can put your setting on the manual setting for flash.

Last time I was asking for a flash for Agfa… well, this camera came with the cutest little flash ever! Which I can also use on my Agfa Clack! It came in this cute tiny case. I even got 14 flash bulbs!

 

 

 

 

I found this little advertisement for it! Couldn’t find a commercial.

 

The value of this camera is between 20 and 60 dollars, depending on the condition of the camera.

 

Have a nice week!

X.

Thrift shop day! Vinyl record lamp.

Finally I was able to go to a thrift shop again! This time a real big one! It has two floors, filled with clothes, furniture, old records and record payers, books… just about everything.

I bought five old records (1 euro!!). Only classical music on them. I wanted to make a lamp out of the records, so I thought I would buy records that are sold less then the others. One with old Hollywood songs. Jaws, star wars, the sting, pretty cool I found those. I want to buy a record player at the thrift shop soon. A record player is something that is really missing in my room! I don’t have a clue what sort I would have to buy, does anybody know something about record players and what I need to look for of I want to buy one at the thrift shop?

Besides the records, I bought a book. Going to do a little DIY blog with that one! So I’m not telling you what I did with it yet! But here are some pictures of what I did with those poor, poor classical music records.

 

Analogue camera review–The Agfa clack.

pfoo, I have been busy, busy, busy. There is so much to do now. School is getting harder and harder to keep up with. The 3rd period of preliminary examinations are in  5 weeks, 3 weeks after those exams, there will be the resits, and 3 weeks after that I will have my final exams! Its all going so quick, I can’t find the time to write a blog anymore.

But, between social sciences, economics, mathematics and literature, I’ve got a half hour to write a review on an awesome camera!

This week it’s the Agfa Clack.

This camera was manufactured between 1954 en 1965. The early models had a metal body, later the made the body plastic. You can check what model you have by twisting the pin on the bottom of you camera. You can take out the body and see if its made of plastic.

I got this camera a few weeks ago. I love the look of it! Its so cute. I haven’t had the chance to shoot with it yet, but I will soon! I checked lomography for pictures made with the camera, and they definitely have the vintage look to it! of course, depending on what film you use.

 

Unfortunately, I don’t have a flash for it. If anybody in Holland reads this and has one, I would love to buy it from you!

The camera uses 120mm film, which you can buy at the lomography store. Just click HERE.

The value of the camera, depending on the state it’s in is between 10 and 30 dollars.

I’ll post a blog on how the pictures turn out when I got time for it!

X.

A quick update.

I have been busy all day brainstorming on a project I have been working on with a friend. I wanted to start refurbishing furniture for a while now. I just didn’t know how to start since I don’t have a lot of knowledge of furniture. Now I am working together with my friend Bart. He is a interior advisor student. He knows a lot more about this stuff then I do and he loved the idea of working together on a project! We have been brainstorming quite a bit now and decided to start a blog together to capture the process of it all. The main goal is very simple. “re-use to create new design”. The concept is that the consumer buys a piece of furniture and gets to read how its made, what inspired us to make it, and the story behind it step by step.

If you’re interested, please take a look and maybe comment or follow us! Just click on the picture or the link!

http://crazydutchindustry.wordpress.com/2013/02/09/brainstorming/

 

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D.I.Y lunchbox.

I needed a lunchbox for my lunch at school. I was thinking on buying one. Then I remembered I had about 20 empty plastic bottles in my room. I have to use those. I can’t keep them in my room for ever. So I decided to make my lunchbox from a bottle. It worked out pretty awesome. You can make one yourself too!

Here is how you can make your own:

This is what you need to make the lunchbox:

 

First, you need to draw on your bottle where you want to cut. Then cut it out. Then you have to do something tricky. You can do it with you scissors, but I used a Stanly knife:

 

Now cut out these so you can close your box:

Now you want to make your lunchbox look good. You can do that any way you want. I used tape.

Have fun making one yourself! Show me how yours turned out!

I just made a Facebook page a few days ago, go like it for updates!

http://www.facebook.com/TheDutchStory

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