I'VE MOVED!

Sorry it's been so calm around here. But let me assure you: I used the break well enough - let me tell you what I did in the past couple of months (does that sound like a lame excuse? Well maybe it is one...):

1. I enjoyed this lovely invention called "Elternzeit" (literally: "Parents' time") that Germany offers to mothers and fathers and that allows you to spend up to 14 months at home with your kid(s) with 66% of your net pay, sponsored by the government. So since the weather is finally getting nicer and nicer, we went for walks, sat down in the garden, had many small and big friends over for homemade cake and bbqs, got to know the birds and bugs of our garden, studied the moves and sounds of our cats, looked at toys and books and identified all the things that makes us laugh out loud.

2. I made up my mind what else, beside the lovely things mentioned above, I want to do with my time while I don't have to go back to work. As anticipated, I really love being a mom and spending time with Javi, my hands started itching and my head started thinking of new things to make and sew. So I came up with this new project, called mes poulettes. It’s about having ideas, using your hands, making life a little bit sweeter, using pretty and good quality materials, making new out of old and loving what you do. Plus a little bit of French attitude which can never be bad.

So, my friends: I would be more than pleased if you followed me into this new adventure. I hope you like it and I hope to meet you over at my new website/blog.

scissors, ink, stamp... and chickens.

Last night while Javi was asleep I sat in the living room and while watching random tv shows, I prepared some more things for my new project. Here's a little sneak peek:

We're experiencing some technical issues. Hope they will be solved soon, can't wait to share.

please stay tuned...

Excusez-moi mes amis, I know, I know... loooooooong break. I have a good excuse, though! Please stay tuned, I'll share the news in a couple of days.

my new belated me

Happy new year, ya'all. And I know I'm late.

The funny thing is: I've never been late before, I'm just not the being-late-type of person. I guess this is what they mean when they say that children change everything: Right now, I'm late all the time.

It's a bit challenging for me to accept that life has changed so much and that Javi now is the center of it - any minute, any second, day and night. Which means I start struggling when I:

• try to finish something I started right away as I used to
• bake all-lovely-from-scratch-homemade-especially spiced-organic samosas for a get together instead of just buying some croissants at the bakery (...as J told me to. I know I could have and nobody would have minded and it wouldn't have taken me all day - but I'm just happier that way.)
• try not to forget birthday wishes and thank you notes
  
• keep taking pictures, organize them, upload them to flickr and this blog, and print out some of them for my tactile memory
  
• try to stay up-tp-date with the latest political and cultural events
• be social with all of my friends
  
• try to not wear the same each day.
  

These are things I used to be able to manage Pre-Javi, and now he's here and doesn't care a fig (which I love him for).

But this shows me once again: We're not perfect, we can't be. Instead, we should work on getting our priorities in order to be able to work on things, but also to let things go.

So would you please excuse me in case you won't see me around this space as often as before for some time.

P.s. I've had this light chain for 6 years and it died right after I took this picture. I took it as a good sign :)

happy two months, javi

2 days and counting

Javi's not in a good mood today. Basically, he's either asleep, or drinking, or crying - no other options seem possible.

Maybe he's just excited for Christmas. I am.

3 days and counting

When I found out I was pregnant in spring this year, one of the first things that came to my mind was 'Geez, there will be a little baby with us at Christmas'. It felt so far away I never would have thought we would finally reach this point. Now it's only 3 days away... Sorry for that slightly melancholic interlude, I'll stop now.

Let's get to one of my favourite parts about Christmas: Presents. I love getting handmade presents, and I also love giving them. This year I thought I wouldn't be able at all to find time to make something - turns out, I was.


I made this tiny pillows for my friend's tiny people.

This bath salt contains sea salt, jojoba oil and a combination of rose, vanilla, sandalwood and tangerine, which is my favourite combo at the moment. We also made a couple of glasses of onion chutney and framed pictures of Javi for the family - I consider that 'handmade', as well.

So all in all, I'm pretty happy with my schedule this year, just need to wrap the pressies and I'm set.

What about you?

writings on the wall

I have that thing for handwritten, stiched, cut, forged letters, writings and the like. There's a certain kind of magic to it.

{giac1061}

{Three Red Apples}

{emilyonasunday}

{stealinghearts}

{un arc en ciel dans le lavabo}

Later today, I'm meeting some of my oldest girl friends who are in town for christmas. Every year, we're meeting for a long walk, this year a) in deep snow and b) with 2 new babies. Yay for snow and babies.

Do yo have any similar traditions?

Ps. We got the prettiest belated birth present for Javi yesterday - I'll share pictures soon...

kids stuff

{found here}

I adore this room, it's so calm and cozy. Although it's quite dark I really like the colour palette. And hello, little owl.

{Dora iz Londona}

The cutest little Princess And The Pea.

{cluckclucksew}

I love the colours of this room. There's something magical to it.

{Kasaa}

This is the loveliest baby pullover I've ever seen. Plus, it's handknitted. Chapeau.

{- Haust -}

Simple yet so beautiful. I really like white.

{Larimar Shop}

I think I need to get this little hat. So sweet.

words of good cheer

I

♥

Christmas.

{JerusalemTheArtsyMomma}

{Köttbullekvist}

{nestdecorating}

vote for me. please.

I'm usually not a big fan of competitions, but I really do like this one. The host is BurdaStyle in cooperation with ModCloth, which is one of my favourite places to buy dresses. The winner will get a $100,- voucher.

The task: Sew/crochet/knit a fashion accessiore, inspired by a ModCloth item. I made a bag and a brooch. Come on and join the competition! Oh, and please vote for me here and here.

Thanks! :)

st. nikolaus

Happy St. Nikolaus everyone!

When I was a child he scared the hell out of me. We've been told he puts chocolate into your boot - but only if you've been good. In case you had been cheeky throughout the year he'd come with a birch instead - ouch! I've been lucky and always found sweets and little presents...

Since then it's a tradition that my family gets together for a big bowl of French onion soup and a glass of champagne and we're giving each other little presents. This year, I bought a little plant, made gingerbread houses and filled hand-sewn stockings with chocolate.


So, as you can see, nowadays I can be a bit more relaxed about things... Plus, it's snowing big time today. Lucky me.

happy adventing.

I was planning on posting these pictures yesterday, but then a calm day turned into a busy day so I had to postpone it. SO: Here's the 2010 version of the advent calendar:

I just talked to a friend on the phone who made a similar one - except she has two kids. So she made 48 little bags. Oh. my. god.

Also, I gave my chandelier a festive outfit:

Here's our kitchen view into the garden (I was gonna get a better picture but then it was way to cold to leave the house again):

These wintery days have actually been the first couple of days I managed to sew again. I made three pairs of pants for me, they are so comfortable and easy to sew that I'd like to get one of these really soft thick nice fabrics and make some for Javi, too. Similar to these from momolorelei, which I find absolutely adorable:

Ps. I'm invited to a Stich'n'Bitch on Friday - have you ever done anything similar?

winter time - bunting time!

Well, actually this is just an excuse to produce and put up even *more* buntings and garlands than usual.
It started snowing this morning and it hasn't stopped since then. Lovely!

Ps. Advent calendar is up! I'll share a picture soon.

mei tai - and not the cocktail...

So far, the only thing I would associate with "Mei Tai" was the drink. Now, I am a mother and am being introduced to a whole new world of things, expressions, and knowledge. It's like a parallel world I knew of but didn't think it would be so big. Those of you who have/are expecting babies probably know what I am talking about!

To cut a long story short: I sewed a Mei Tai. I had never heard about this before, but as I entered the world of baby carrying and did some research on the internet, I quickly stumbled upon it. First, I wanted a wrap to carry Javi, but as I am not patient at all I figured it would be too complicated for me. The Mei Tai instead (got the pattern here) is a lot easier to use (plus you can chose the fabric to match your outfit;)).

Et voilà, here it is:

(Sorry for the crappy picture, priorities are getting shifted)

And - surprise, surprise, he really quite likes it which I didn't expect since it's really quite tight in there ;)

Now I just need to train my back to be able to carry him longer that 45 minutes. Oh, and I need to practice eating and drinking while carrying him - today, I spilled a bit of couscous and apple juice on his little head.

12 months project

As Javi is one month old today, I took his very first picture for the 12 months project. I read about this idea at cakies and found it fabulous. I think it's such a sweet thing to look at and to follow the little one's development.

I'm still busy with sewing advent calendar cones, I'm confident they'll be finished by the end of the month. Also, I started putting up some christmas decorations - have you?

Ps. This is what my crafting space looks like at the moment - so chaotic. But as much as I'm opposed to physical chaos in the rest of my life, I don't mind it too much - sometimes, I even think oit helps with being creative. What about you, what kind of crafter are you? Well organized or super chaotic?

kleinformat

It seems like the perfect coincidence that this lovely magazine was launched just as I am having a baby. I am quite disgusted by most of the existing magazines for parents, I don't know who they are made for but it feels definitely not for me.

So I'm extra thankful to Dolores who has come up with kleinformat, a magazine for creative parents. It has fabulous artwork, photos, and ideas. It presents many amazingly talented and creative people. I'm super excited about the third issue which will be a christmas one, and I just had to get a subscritpion.

So anyone who is annoyed by all these boring magazines for parents out there (and has a fair knowledge of German) - go get it! Please help to keep this wonderful project alive.

Have a cosy Sunday night!

Ps. Thanks Dolores for letting me use your pictures!

Pps. You see the lovely little romper suit to the very right in the picture above? I just got it for Javi, plus another Bobo Choses one with Leica cameras on it... Super cute.

la nursery.

Finally I managed to share some pics of the nursery. The curtains are still missing, but since we live in an old building with high ceiling we would need one of these super long ladders to put them up. Which we don't have. Yes, we could borrow one - that's been our plan for the past 4 months. To be honest, I don't think these curtains will ever be up.

I love this piece - it has been in J's family for a very long time.

I got this lovely wooden postcard when we were in Berlin this summer.

This was the first piece we bought for Javi. It is really tiny and doesn't really fit anymore. He just wore it once: On our way from the hospital home, which makes it even more special to me.

Have a lovely Friday!