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?