katie-claire

first blooms and bunnies

2012-02-25T14:59:00.000+01:00

A hint of spring is suddenly in the air!
My little one and I took our bikes to the garden shop yesterday and the sun felt so unusually warm on our backs.

This morning we took a little walk in the forest and it was so warm that we soon were shedding our coats! The boys stopped for a while to admire a giant forest tractor and I took that quiet moment to listen to two woodpeckers knocking and tapping in a bird dialogue and the cheerful chirping of other birds in the background.

I know it's still winter but we're on our way to a warmer season. A few little purple crocuses have popped up overnight in our lawn.

I have designed and sewn up a few linen bags for children and put them in my shop - so sweet for spring and Easter.

To find out more about the Phoebe, Hannah and Olivia bags, just click on their names!

Have a lovely weekend!

xoxo

Karen

unmasked / winter sunshine

2012-02-22T12:56:00.001+01:00

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

Anais Nin

The carnival season is now officially ended - better known as Mardi Gras in many parts of the world – it is a very popular event here along the Rhine river. For almost a week people dress up in colorful costumes and masks, children get several days off school, towns host long parades of humorous, satirical and candy-throwing floats. Nearly every one celebrates like crazy until the whole thing ends on Ash Wednesday when the time of fasting and sobriety has arrived.

But while it lasts the festivity in the air is contagious and especially when the sun is giving a warm glow to these barren winter days. And who can not love a four-day weekend! It makes for a great chance to have visitors and we were totally spoiled with two different families coming and spending time with us. It is amazing to see friends from college after many years and a pleasure to get to know their children who are not just babies anymore but are growing up into clever big boys and mature teens. We took our friends to a nearby city and strolled along the river promenades of Koblenz, and we meandered along the pretty cobblestone paths through the classical old city, all the time enjoying the masked and costumed figures roaming the streets and the music and drums of the parade in the background. We stopped in at a fancy cafe for child's idea of heaven and splurged on elaborate cakes and hot chocolate that was served with a mountain of whipped cream in tiny silver stands.

But if that is not enough treats for one long weekend, another dear old friend from my college days came by after the first visitors left and brought us this delicious apple-wine cake that she baked herself (hoping to get that recipe!!). I feel so grateful to have time with special people who live far away. In a few hours of much chatting it seems that illumination occurs. It is sunshine to be able to simply let down the layers of masks that seem to accumulate over time.
"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine."
Thomas Jefferson

xoxo

Karen

PS pretty Tilda angel I sewed a few years ago....

Vanilla-Yogurt Pound Cake

2012-02-14T08:59:00.000+01:00

My daughter baked this for us last week and I meant to blog about it right away, but then thought I would save it for Valentine's day, since she used the heart cake pan. The recipe is from her new book "Veganomicon" that I mentioned recently. Very moist and very delicious! Can you believe this has no eggs or butter or cream? I can't! But as objectively as possible I want to point out that this girl has a special baking talent. :)

We have tried out so many recipes from this book already - last night we had the Spinach Noodle Kugel and Lentil Salad with Sunshine Pineapple & Carrot Spice Muffins for dessert. I spent hours in the kitchen! Some days my vegan daughter has to suffer with our non-vegan meal and be happy with toast and peanut-butter. I'm not a restaurant. But I want each family member to have a chance to have something they request, even better when they are really involved with preparation. The Spinach Kugel was so delicious! My littlest son hates spinach but was able to eat a whole slice thinking it was herbs. (sigh....I admit that for good intentions I do lie to my children sometimes!) I'm sure I will bake it again. (What I really liked about it was that it was satisfying but not heavy)

I'm not really a big Valentine's Day person. I know I'm not going to get any flowers or notes from my kids or husband. It's not really celebrated in Germany and my hazy childhood memory of all classmates giving and receiving little paper Valentines is tinged with a slight feeling of insincerity. Those little boxed card sets did have a wonderful stationary scent though. I still love cutting out little paper cards and notes!

I think in the end, it is better to simply show our love to others in sincere little gestures, acts or words. Every day.

xoxo

Karen

PS But why not bake a heart-shaped cake anyway!

nature's canvas

2012-02-10T12:51:00.000+01:00

After so many freezing days we finally got snow here. I think we were the last little spot in all Europe to finally see something white. We did have so many days of clear skies and sun - I'm not complaining - but the world covered in sparkling glitter is even nicer!

The first thing that must be done when the yard is transformed into a new landscape is to plow some new paths for the tractor and trailer. Especially when the snow is too dry and flaky for a snowman.
The curious kitties seem to find the snow as invigorating as the children. I think they like flaunting their trails of paw prints to give us a hint of their secret excursions.

Snow is sort of like nature's blank canvas that we quickly fill up with fleeting marks of our activity.

I love the juxtaposition of textures here - the cottony snow on a piece of rough firewood.

Beauty is where you find it and I am linking my middle photo here because I am having a lot of fun playing along with this challenge this year!

xoxo

Karen

three cookbooks

2012-02-06T10:05:00.000+01:00

The past week has been so glorious with its clear blue skies and beautiful sun. I'm happy to trade the warm overcast days that ruled most of January for this ice-cold Siberian front (even though that bright light and cold air made me rather headache-y for a couple days) On the first day of sunshine last week I bundled up in my coat and thick turtleneck and mittens, took my one cup of hot coffee outside to the picnic table, sat there on a sheepskin fur and soaked up a few rays. The ground was slightly frozen but what did I see there shining her face on me? A tiny daisy - basking in the sun as well.

Alas that little lawn daisy (bellis perennis, my personal little symbol of beauty and modesty and courage) has not survived the days of frigid temperatures that have followed. But I know she'll be back!

So I mentioned recently that I had cut back my coffee and since the weekend I have actually stopped altogether. I feel so great because I feel so un-addicted! And secondly, I think I was just over-doing it and feeling rather jittery. This photo is from last week and I am so excited that I captured that pretty swirl. Hope you're not tired of seeing my Ikea Christmas* napkins and polka-dot Greengate latte cup because I'm certainly not!

*actually, I think these are WINTER napkins because of the lovely Scandinavian pattern, but they are sold at Christmastime. I'm glad we haven't quite used them up yet!

On the other hand, we are looking towards spring already!

Which - thinking of new lovely green things growing - brings me to the subject of vegetables and that brings me to the topic of this post - cookbooks. My daughter's month of eating vegan is not over yet and she even used some of the Christmas money from her godfather to buy a vegan cookbook! Which it turns out I am devouring. I've even been watching internet cooking videos, which made me realize I say "vay-gan" while the authors say "vee-gan". (How do you say it? Am i forgetting English?) I can hardly pronounce the title of my daughter's new cook book "Veganomicon". SHE thinks we should pronounce the "g" soft as in the word "vegetable". When she says "Veganomicon" she sounds like she's speaking an exotic foreign language and it also sounds very delicious!

The book is beautiful and hip and I'm fascinated by it. I truly am enjoying introducing more vegan to our family meals.

However, I have to add that after several vegan dinners we had a pizza one night that was loaded with cheese and, for the two die-hard meat-eaters in the family, plenty of salami. (Daughter was away with her school orchestra - I just would have felt kind of cruel eating that in front of her). My husband and boys were just oohing over the pizza, asking what I had added different this time. But I hadn't done anything different, it was just the few days of less dairy and meat that made us appreciate it more. So dear Gorgonzola, Mozzerella, Gouda & Gruyere (and all of your cousins)...I'm not going anywhere...absence makes the heart grow fonder!

The last cookbook I purchased was completely on another wavelength (but mothers and daughters should be that to an extent, don't you think). It was "The Farmchicks in the Kitchen"- full of lovely pretty pictures and recipes. But not exactly high up on the scale of healthy and not really groundbreaking in ethical issues. As I can attest to, the recipe for the cinnamon rolls is perfect. Being happy is a part of being healthy, right?! My only small criticism is that one or two recipes call for ingredients that are found in American supermarkets, but for the most part, this a delightful book. It is actually much more than a cookbook, there are dozens of little uplifting stories and anecdote about the authors and their antiques business which are really fun to read. And there are lots of little kitchen craft projects too. I would not mind it if next year Santa brought me their Christmas book....

The third cookbook I thought I would mention today is actually an author that my mom discovered. This fabulous lady is Mireille Guiliano, a Frenchwoman living in New York. Since then I've purchased almost all of her books. Her French emphasis on using fresh seasonal produce is not really just French but European - very similar to what I have learned from living in Germany. I admire her common sense attitude - delicious healthy food, normal portions, occasional weekends or days of light eating. I consistently return to her books. She's just fun to read and has a great website, too.
She's all about enjoying chocolate and champagne, too. I think it is funny that there is a red wine stain on this book, which occurred in an airplane somewhere over the Rocky Mountains. Probably some dark chocolate stains somewhere too!

Somehow, I think my mom picked out the best cookbooks of all.

Hope you are inspired to make something delicious & healthy this week!

xoxo

Karen

happy frosty things

2012-02-05T17:14:00.000+01:00

Little things that made me happy this frosty February week:

My 6-year old looking at his breath outside in the cold and asking me, "Can you make clouds too?"

Standing in a sunny spot in the garden and feeling the sun's warmth on my back despite the subzero temperatures.

The clear blue sky and longer days.

Having a childless Sunday for just my husband and me. The house absolutely quiet except for the crackling of the fire. Walking together through the icy forest, quietly, just listening to the birds and the leaves rustling underfoot, trickling water under frozen streams, holding hands through thick mittens.

Thinking about maybe...maybe...signing up for a beginner's Italian class. Maybe.

Enjoying my friend's new blog and her frosty decorations in Finland.

While walking in the cold forest suddenly thinking about the movie we watched with our children on Christmas Eve, a wonderful tale of Santa Claus which was filmed in Lapland. Reflecting on something I heard this morning that we can have the love and light of Christmas in our hearts all year round.

Making a couple new treasury lists on Etsy and finding new favorites in that steamy jungle of lovely things! I have not yet figured out how to post them on my blog but I have found so many pretty things. Please take a look all the gorgeous things I've found in my two latest treasuries here and here. Enjoy!

And finally, adding some new pretty patchwork tote bags to my shop.

Happy Sunday!

xoxo

Karen

photo challenge 4/2012

2012-02-02T10:47:00.000+01:00

beauty is where you find it
today's theme is "TWO"
I grabbed my camera and went to my craft table
balls of yarn everywhere from the projects I am working on right now
(mobiles and garlands of course)
aren't they pretty in the morning sun?

xoxo

Karen

a bit less

2012-01-25T10:23:00.000+01:00

A teenage girl who campaigns for animal rights has decided to go vegan for her first month of her fifteenth year. She's been a vegetarian for two years without one look back. I'm proud of her commitment and conviction. I do cook many vegetarian meals each week but it's not like there isn't (organically raised) meat in our house. But seeing images of mass farms and a slaughterhouse in the news the other night made me think again about if I really want to eat meat, organic or not. Saying goodbye to dairy products though...I don't think that would work for me.

She made these vegan oatmeal cookies on Sunday and they are absolutely delicious. She found the recipe on the internet and added dried cranberries instead of raisins. I have to careful to not eat them away from her - they are so good!
While she is iron-willed with her goals, I can only dream. But I will proudly say that I am trying! I have cut my coffee consumption by 2/3 since Sunday and now on Wednesday am still holding out! And feeling much better.

January is an excellent time of the year for a bit less, don't you think?

xoxo
Karen

beauty is where you find it

2012-01-21T23:05:00.000+01:00

beauty is where you find it #02/12
challenge from nic

(my first attempt at linking up to a challenge

hope it works!)

fresh

these pretty roses from my daughter's birthday
such a refreshing mix of colors in this gray January week

the very last bouquet of "fair trade" roses I spied at the market that day
slightly fading - it didn't matter
she loved them
i apologized that one poor rose was already drooping
but she smiled and had a kind of - let's say - sympathy, understanding, affinity even
and somehow that made it very real & sweet & full of life
and also made me happy that my daughter at fifteen feels the same way that i do

that perfectly imperfect is beautiful

I love roses right now
- and always -
and am sewing new things with rosy fabrics
you will see more soon
(as soon as I find mailing boxes in which these lovelies fit into!!!)

happy sunday!

xoxo

karen

simple little things

2012-01-13T10:33:00.000+01:00

Simple little things make me happy

The color aqua makes me happy

Making an idea into something real makes me happy

Finding words of truth that speak to my heart makes me happy

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

Mother Teresa
Catholic Nun, Missionary
Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

found here

Wishing you a simple, happy weekend!

xoxo

Karen

Happy New Year!

2012-01-09T10:42:00.000+01:00

Oh dear that alarm clock rang this morning

the children had to get up for school

which means I had to wake them

I think there were four zombies trying to eat their cereal this morning

I made bowls of hot chocolate for them as a small motivation

somehow, they made it out the door

and now here I am

in this very quiet house

taking down the Christmas décor and so happy to finally be

stopping in to say hello again!

For some reason, despite the large selection of herbal teas in my cupboard, I have been addicted to this simple generic peppermint tea these past days. Maybe that is my word for the year? Simple. Like that.

January has blown in with very stormy weather over western Europe -still no sign of snow - but yesterday I spied some tulips poking their way up.

By lucky chance, I also captured a fleeting moment of blue sky and moon between the rain and wind. Hard to believe that few minutes later this was covered again for the rest of the day.

There were mostly gray skies and rain during the holidays but the house was merry and bright with many visitors bringing so much cheer!

We attended two memorable Christmas Eve services and enjoyed lovely Christmas brunches and meals with extended family (Christmas is two and a half days long in Germany so that is a lot of eating!)

My boys were very happy it did not rain on New Year's Eve so they could launch their little firecrackers and rockets at midnight.

With no snow to sled on and dreary drizzle, we mostly stuck to the indoors and enjoyed fun movies, solved many cases of "Clue" and spent hours putting puzzles of tractors and trains together. Worth mentioning as well was a serious 2-day game of "Monopoly" with cousins that was peacefully conducted and concluded (more or less - ha ha! - what a crazy game!)

I do love family time!

On the first day of this year I had a mini in-house craft show and was thrilled to sell a bunch of my tote bags and décor. This just reminds me that one of my goals this year is to shed some of my shyness (over 40 and still shy, will that never go away?) and be bold and attend a crafts show as a seller. It's actually quite amazing that so many artists on etsy do so well, because one of the biggest joys of many handmade goods is the sheer loveliness you can only experience in a tactile, sensual way. I am thrilled when I can capture a tiny bit of that in a photo.

Many of those sold items were scheduled to go up in my etsy shop soon so I am back to the sewing table, with pleasure, to make new and lovely things. (The mushroom girl's purse was sold but it's so cute I am going to sew another similar one!)

Here are some sneak peaks of what you will find in my shop very soon.

I will be adding new things every week in January so do check often!

Wishing you a healthy and lovely start to the new year!

xoxo

Karen

Christmas cheer

2011-12-19T12:05:00.000+01:00

The third and fourth Advent candles have been lit. My youngest son's constant anticipation of that fourth candle was such a sweet reminder of finding joy in the little things. At this point in December with all of its activities I quite need that reminder! The third candle represents faith and the fourth stands for peace.

More cookies have been baked, cards have been sent, parties have been enjoyed, errands have been run and school book-reports and tests have been completed - phew! The delightful craft projects from my e-course will just have to wait until next year I'm afraid. But the joy of participating and enjoying the videos was a perfect splurge and I loved it.

The big branch in the living room has been decorated with handmade angels, hearts, birds...."noel" letters a bit wrinkled after storage but festive nonetheless.

And now the tree is up – contrary to German tradition of it not appearing until Christmas Eve – and it is so very beautiful in its very imperfect way, sagging with ornaments because the little boys have not yet quite mastered the art of not hanging everything at the end of the branches. The tree has been decorated with pure love and joy and I don't want to steal the tiniest bit of that from my children's hearts. (OK I did do a few minor revisions this morning after they left for school, minimal, I promise!)

Are you also thinking about 2012 yet? I feel so energized with ideas, thoughts and plans for next year. After taking on a part time job last year I had to take a real break from scrapbooking and I miss it so much. My priority this fall was to open my etsy shop and so scrapbooking once again had to take a back seat. But I have lot of plans for my photos and albums next year and some new projects with a mixed-media twist. Just thinking about those ideas makes me happy.

Since I mention etsy I have to admit that I am already sketching up my newest ideas for an early spring collection for my shop – colorful, cheerful, happy things for babies, kids, and moms. I can hardly wait to dive into that!

And one more thing to please note! I have started a facebook page for my shop so please do click on that to follow if you want. I would really love to see you there!

I will be taking a little blogging break and will be back in January. Before I go though, I just want to say thank you. I am sincerely honored that in your busy life with so many amazing places and blogs out there that you would take the time to stop by and visit my very simple little website. And if you took even more time to leave a comment, I really appreciated that (sad to say sometimes I don't manage to acknowledge them but truly I love them!) I hope there was something here for you that was uplifting.

Until then, I wish you a Christmas filled with peace and happiness. May all your dreams for the new year come true!

xoxo

Karen

around the house

2011-12-09T08:46:00.000+01:00

Little bits of Christmas showing up around the house....

In the front hallway is a heart wreath inspired from one of my Tone Finannger "Tilda" craft books. I made it a few years ago, but still love it.

An evergreen wreath hangs on the front door. I used greens from the yard and added some pinecones and little apples with the very last glue stick from my hot glue gun, I had to poke it through with a chopstick! The replacement sticks I had ordered didn't fit of course but guess what, thanks to the chopstick I had just enough glue and a day later found a whole new box of sticks in a cupboard in my studio. I am going to need those for the projects from my artsy workshop!

When I look it at in the photo now, I think I need to reglue the apples on, they are all kind of sideways. Handmade charm...I suppose. Hmmmm.

Holly and pine in the front window boxes, little decorations outside by the front door snuggled in the heather.

Love candles and books, all year round, but especially at Christmas. Just LOVE that white doily, my sweet neighbor crocheted it for me.

I put the holiday themed books in an Ikea basket. How nice see the children's eyes light up when they rediscover „old friends“. This year St. Nick brought a couple new books on the 6th, an Elmer the elephant book (love the artistic illustrations) and a Penguin story collection. We are also busy reading an Advent book together every evening that we have to tear open the page of each day to see how the story progresses.

In another Ikea basket are the Christmas CD's.
I don't know how Ikea does it but more often than not, their products fit perfectly in our very unconventional nooks of our cottagey-house. These two baskets fit perfect under the TV/stereo shelf in a niche that my husband built.

This cowboy boot stocking is really cute. My brother and sister-in-law live in Texas and they gave it to my husband one year. Love it hanging by the stairs.

A Christmassy home needs a sleepy cat lounging around, don't you think?

And of course the scent of baking is a necessity! As quickly as cookies come out of the oven they seem to dissappear! We made some chocolate chips and coconut-cranberry...gave half away and the rest stayed here....mmmm!
( I think there is one left, please help yourself!)

xoxo

Karen

artsy workshop week

2011-12-08T10:16:00.000+01:00

This week is

simply

making

happy!

I think when St. Nick came on the 6th to fill up the children's shoes (which he does in Germany) he decided that this year, mom was also going to get a treat!

When I saw the „12 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas“ e-course being advertised a couple weeks ago I immediately knew that I wanted to do it although I wasn't quite sure what to expect and I have never done an online workhop before. Honestly, I felt like a little child filled with anticipation impatiently waiting for this workhop to finally begin!

So very glad I decided to sign up! The instructors have that wonderful contagious enthusiasm that I am kind of missing in my life right now. The videos are really fun, the tutorials well demonstrated. I love that even though you don't have a live instructor, there is a sense of interaction. The projects are a great mix of mixed-media and artsy, organic/natural, colorful, glittery, elegant....haven't seen all the projects yet...some would make lovely gifts, some things are to keep for yourself! I'm loving that soaking in-feeling of getting new ideas and feeling very revved up to create similar versions of the projects but I know what happens when I follow a recipe or a guide, I often end up doing my own thing!

I also hope to visit some of the other classmates who have listed their websites....I hope they post their creations. It's a shame there is not a flickr group. But I will surely share photos of any ornaments or decor that I make. I have actually started two projects ….you will see the results in a couple days ( i hope!).

Mixed-media art has been something that keeps calling me. Since I can never really decide between paper and fabric I guess that just makes sense. The question is, should I sign up for another course? There are a couple I have my eyes on.

But I also I keep getting this message that I need to „look within“.

I suppose I could do both :) But I have the feeling I should just do the looking within part.

For certain, one of my goals for 2012 is to continue in this direction.

Is there something you really want to do, you know it deep in your heart but something is holding you back? Maybe now is the time!

xoxo

Karen

two

2011-12-05T12:00:00.000+01:00

Two candles now have been lit.

The second candle on our advent wreath symbolizes hope. My older son lit them yesterday at breakfast which as you can see was blueberry muffins...mmmm! (thanking my daughter again for picking them last summer so I can just pull them out of the freezer!) We had a lovely day celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday and being together with family and listening to rain fall after our dry dry month of November...how I love the sound of rain!

This is the time of year I love visiting Ali Edward's website to see how her December Daily is coming along, as well as the projects of many many others who are making a version of this project as well. I love how she involves the community with her project. I have a couple of her books and just adore everything about her. In November I ask myself if I want to do this project but I usually end up saying no (main reason because I don't have a quality photo printer), and then of course wish I had said yes when I start seeing the amazing albums being created! Ali's enthusiasm for this season and her creative designs in this project are simply contagious! I did make a December album a couple years ago based on this idea and I really love looking through it now. But most years, this year included, I am just going to take some notes and make a few December pages to go into my main family scrapbook. This is what works best for me...in the words of Stacy Julian "scrapbook some of your photos some of the time and have fun"!

I thought it would be fun to share with you a couple December pages from our album from last year. This first layout is my son lighting the first candle and it is super simple with white cardstock and just a few chipboard stickers. I wanted the photos to shine and also wanted to include authentic ephemera - a rather wrinkly page from the church program with a Christmas song that is sung every year. You see my pages sometimes are both in German and English! (Since I speak English to my kids my journaling is always in English) This pretty song is about the light at Christmastime bringing love and hope.

Every year I like to take a photo of the three children in front of the tree and usually make a scrapbook page with it. It's so fun to see how they change each year. Most of the time I get a nice photo (total challenge with 3!) last year was not one of those years. But I want my scrapbooks to be authentic so that was fine with me. I love it that our house is filled with harmony and happiness most of the time, so a photo proving that we are all human and don't always feel like smiling is in a way more precious than fake smiles. Anyway, I did some machine stitching on this, added various stickers for the title and lots of hand-journaling and i love that scalloped strip at the bottom.

Hoping your day is filled with sunshine!

xoxo

Karen

December Soup

2011-12-02T13:39:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I made one of my all-time favorite soups for dinner and it's so good, I just have to share it with you.

It's super delicious, probably very healthy and a beautiful shade of deep red. It's also not bad for using up those beets that we still have growing in the vegetable garden!

For years I have been making the "New York Deli Borscht" recipe from the "Joy of Cooking" which is simple and exceptional. Basically, it is just beets, carrots, garlic and lemon juice. This fall I found a new recipe and a few extra ingredients make it a bit heartier. Here's how I make it:

In a large pot, saute one sliced leek and half a celeriac (in little cubes) in a bit of olive oil.

Peel and chop a couple beets into cubes and add to the pot, then add a liter or so of vegetable broth.

Now add a few peeled potatoes chopped into small pieces and a can of chopped tomatoes. Then let it cook for 20 - 30 minutes until everything is soft.

I like to make it a day in advance or in the morning so the flavors can develop. When it's time to serve, puree the soup (I use an electric blender stick), heat it up and add salt, pepper and - this is the most important part - a dash of balsamic vinegar. The vinegar adds a tartness and pulls all the other flavors together. You can sprinkle parsley on top or even add a dollop of cream or creme fraiche, but it is really delicious however you do it!

Enjoy!

Happy weekend!

xoxo

Karen

candle no. 1

2011-11-30T12:51:00.001+01:00

The first candle has been lit.

Candle number one on our Advent wreath represents love

Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine:

Love was born at Christmas:

Star and angels gave the sign.

-Christina Rossetti

It was a very easy wreath this year. Almost too easy (good thing I have that e-course coming up to keep me busy!) I found the patchwork wreath I made last year in its storage box in the cellar and decided it looked rather nice! Feeling blissfully happy that I live out in the country out I went and snipped away at bushes and trees in our yard and even my lavender and rosemary bushes. These herb bundles are so fragrant along with the evergreens. Mmmm....

My daughter found these lovely berry red candles while we were shopping recently. I love the frosty festive look and it's okay with me that they are a slightly large for the wreath - perfectly imperfect is perfect!

Nature has so many variations on shades of green even in this leafless season. I really started to notice that while gathering my clippings. I love the silver-green of the herbs and the yellow-green of the boxwood. How beautiful they all look with browns: little anis stars, cinnamon sticks, tiny pine cones. I simply placed them on the glass plate under and around the patchwork wreath and if they start to become too dry before Christmas I can quickly replace them with fresh greens.

I will leave you today with an image of some goodies from my shop that just were dispatched to a customer and another great quote from one of our children's favorites...

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. " ~Dr Seuss

Happy First Week of Advent!

xoxo

Karen

P.S. Lovely quotes found here!

fall (part two)

2011-11-23T08:27:00.001+01:00

It's still fall here, even though our town has put up the Christmas lights and there are stars and Santas appearing in people's windows. It's still fall and November has been so sunny and dry that ski season in the Alps has been postponed (according to the news) and sadly our river Rhine is down almost too low for ships.

Is it fall where you live? Has snow fallen? Or is it a different season alltogether? I am curious....

I am also curious, because I have the feeling many of you out there are as in love with this season as I am, what do you love most about fall?

I certainly couldn't decide on one thing in particular. But I can narrow down some favorite things:

the vibrant colors

the magic of beaded spiderwebs and glittery frost

the element of gratitude for the fall harvest

(because gratitude is wholeness and happiness)

a big low moon

red berries on bare branches

lanterns & songs & sweet rolls (German tradition of St. Martin)

costumes & pumpkins & candy (US tradition of Halloween)

Oh dear, the list is getting longer than I wanted!

One more fave I must mention though are the mushrooms that seem to pop up overnight in all different variations in the garden and forest. Even in my studio artsy & lovely fall fungi have appeared!

I was inspired by mix & match, pretty fabrics and embellishments, found & re-purposed materials and of course the magic of autumn. These decorative softies are really unique and fun for a child or the child at heart!

As usual, I have given each one a name such as "Tweet" and "Dotty" and if you like, you can see all of them here!

I'm sure you will agree though that one of the very best parts of fall is anticipating Advent and Christmas. . I am super excited because I have signed up for an e-course “The 12 Arsty Ornaments of Christmas”. This course has such a cool line up of mixed-media artists who will be presenting projects. I have never done an e-course before and am really looking forward to it. I just hope I have most of the materials on hand. I can hardly wait until the 5^th!

xoxo
Karen

the story of a pretty party dress

2011-11-21T11:03:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I get a bittersweet feeling when I see the darling things all the creative moms out there are making for their little ones, especially the adorable creations my friend Rachel sews for her little girl. They just don't stay little for long! A decade ago I had my chance and I did sew some cute clothes for my daughter. Sweet jumpers and pants are all safely tucked away in a pretty keepsake box along with the handmade sweaters & dresses from her grandmothers.

That pretty box hasn't had anything added to it for quite a few years now.

Then, out of the blue, this fall she signed up for a ballroom dancing course at her school and announced that for the big ball she was going to sew her own cocktail dress. With a little help from her mom :)

I was absolutely delighted and perhaps a tiny bit daunted, because you know getting dressed up for a ball is a bit different than hanging out with your play-date after preschool.

So despite any fears or doubts of course I said yes. First she selected a Burda pattern online that we downloaded (40 pages), taped all the pages together, traced the pattern pieces, purchased pretty burgandy taft and tulle, cut and started to sew.

Then she found a different pattern she MUCH preferred.

(Big smile)

She didn't need long to convince me. I will admit that while it seems a waste of energy and money for the other fabric, I was relieved as I was feeling really overwhelmed by that German pattern with no drawings. (I'm still planning to forge on with it though...half of my pins are in that fabric and I miss them! The dress will be pretty for Christmas or New Years, and she can get some more practice sewing.)

The new pattern is McCalls with English directions. It sewed up beautifully and my daughter did a great deal of the work herself.

We both learned a lot. For the first time I sewed a corset bodice with wires. The seamstress at the fabric shop gave me an excellent tip – cover the ends with duct tape to keep them from piercing through the material. Much faster than sewing little fabric covers on each ends. You would have never guessed would you, isn't it fascinating to get the inside scoop on these things?

Of course this all gets hidden and I'm proud that the inside is as beautiful as the out.

At first we made the dress with the shirred waist. She tried it on and we both decided it wasn't flattering so ripped it all apart, cut out new pieces and sewed in the flat waist. I think at that point I had to go back to the fabric shop since my thread had run out. Then we had a few minor problems with the zipper / tightness of the bodice. By the end, I had sewn in the zipper three times. The fabric is pretty amazing still to be holding up so well!

(By the way, the seam-ripper is now on vacation getting a well-deserved rest!)

Finally, a day or so before the ball, the dress was finished. The ball was a dream. Quite different than the "homecomings" and "proms" I remember from high school. These children actually knew the dance steps, for one thing. All the parents were there, everyone dressed to the nines, the children (young adults I should say!) all had partners. The boys brought pretty little bouquets for their partners and the girls had boxes of chocolates in return. They danced a few dances to show us what they had learned (disco fox and waltz and cha-cha-cha to name a few), then the girls danced with their fathers, the sons with their mothers, the girls and boys (all looking so incredibly grown up) danced with each other.

Everything was lovely. And my daughter was too. And after all that dancing, the dress still looks perfect!

Phew. Now back to that other dress....

xoxo
Karen

beautiful days / children helping children

2011-11-16T11:39:00.000+01:00

These are simply beautiful November days. Frosty mornings shrouded in fog, pale sun quickly breaking through and making the last golden leaves sparkle, and a big moon bright when evening sets all too early. There is such a clear quality in the light right now....

It's getting bare yet there are still colors and flowers and leaves. The earth is quieting down and we are slowly getting into the pre-Advent spirit here. For us it always starts with giving on November 15th.

In our house the 15th has become "Christmas in a Shoe Box Day", the day the children send off little boxes of Christmas cheer and goodness to other children someone in the world who need a gift. We started getting involved in this a couple years ago when the pick-up point for the shoe boxes was in my son's preschool. Now we are addicted! It is so much fun. We do it like this: each of our children "sponsors" a child her or his age. Together we go shopping for toys, school supplies, candy, personal items etc. My kids pick out what they want to give "their" child. Then we pack the box up and send them on their way with blessings and hopes. It's an international organization and you can read about it (German) here or (English) here.

I'm sure next year we'll be doing it again!

We always are sure to include a personal greeting. This year the children made paper children holding hands.
Last year I made a scrapbook page about it for our family book. It was one of those occasions that I really wanted to remember but didn't have a great photo (background was not nice) so I ended up cutting the children out and I kind of like the fun way it turned out.

Actually I have not been scrapbooking recently but I know there will be a week when I get obsessed with it again and can't concentrate on anything else until I get a stack of new pages into my album! I promise to start showing more of my favorite layouts for you here on my blog.

xoxo K.

limited & lovely

2011-11-15T12:46:00.000+01:00

A bit later than I wanted, but nevertheless, I do believe in time for German and European shoppers, my etsy shop is now stocked with a limited little collection of goodies for Christmas! Hooray!

(North American shoppers must be very quick if they want something in time for Christmas. For small items I do think shipping will be fairly quick. My experience is that larger packages sent in November from here to USA may not arrive until mid-January!)

Just click on my shop section "Holiday" to find my entire Christmas collection including: cute pins with inspiring words, vintage gift tags, lovely drawstring pouches for gift-giving or keeping :), garlands (you know I love garlands!), big hearts, little paper buntings.Lots of yummy colors, mostly pinks and reds and whites. Have fun looking!

xoxo

Karen

a little peak

2011-11-11T12:32:00.000+01:00

Here's a little peak of Christmas crafting in progress. Lots of holiday items will be up in my shop in a few days, please stay tuned!

Have a lovely weekend!

xoxo
Karen

fall

2011-11-07T08:46:00.000+01:00

brave

cozy

departing

adding first layers

catching the sun

suddenly

letting go

ripe

jumping for joy

tiny miracles

peaceful

hello november

2011-11-02T19:52:00.000+01:00

hello there November....you arrived so quickly

We ended October with a Halloween party for a handful of teens (dressed wickedly :)) - my daughter's friends - and she carved a friendly/spooky jack o' lantern and prepared a fabulous spiderweb cheesecake for her lovely guests. She made it last year and this year again - she's become quite a pro! The recipe is from an old issue of Martha Stewart Living but I'm sure it's on her website. Very delicious but almost too rich....

November starts with a state holiday in our neck of the woods so we got yesterday off. After the slumber-party guests went home, my husband and I stole away for a romantic 3-hour hike through our glorious autumn forest. We are simply addicted to our walks!
After that I planted tulips and other bulbs...I honestly am not in the mood for gardening right now but know how I am going to love those flowers come spring. The hike warmed me up but the sun was going down, so I brought a big steaming mug of tea to sip between digging and trimming (Choco Aztec Spice by Yogi tea....not my fave but perfect right now!). Working outside among the falling golden leaves felt so good. I would have missed the pretty roses which are still fully in bloom and and listening to the children chattering and riding their bikes before evening darkness arrived all too soon.

Hope you are enjoying a good beginning of the new month.

xoxo

Karen

Dangle, twirl, pirouette...a bit of magic hanging in the air

2011-10-26T11:15:00.000+02:00

Last night there was definitely a bit of fairy magic in our house... a milk tooth carefully placed under a pillow turned into a shiny Euro.

My youngest son has been waiting for what must seem to him for forever to have a loose tooth. All of his friends have long been showing off their wiggling teeth. Finally, last week, he felt the first little wiggle in his mouth. Last evening we cuddled together to read “Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth” which made him wiggle & giggle; Little Rabbit looses her tooth in her chocolate ice-cream and has “a window in her mouth”. It's a really cute book from 1975 by Lucy Bate; to me very special because my grandmother gave it to my oldest children in one of her last years with us.

The story ends with Little Rabbit finding a coin under her pillow the next day, and my son and I wondering how many more days until his tooth would fall out. Just as I was telling him those words that children dread ("pajamas" and "bedtime") the phone rang, my daughter calling for me to pick her up in town. When I arrived back to the house ten minutes later, there was my very proud and radiant son with a “window in his mouth” and a tiny tiny tooth in his palm!

He grew out of being a baby long ago, but somehow, this really marks the beginning of the end of the baby era in our house.

Sigh.

Well, twirly wiggling dancing is in my head, I have put up a few new pretty things that hang and dangle in my shop.

I love mobiles and garlands. I fondly remember a wooden butterfly mobile I bought for my first baby (ages ago!) and how exciting it was to see her little face delight in the bright colors and shapes. Mobiles and babies go together like ….loose teeth and ice-cream. But I think at all ages people adore mobiles. Maybe there is something relaxing about them. My grandmother had many pretty maritime mobiles in her beach cottage - fish and boats and such, and my other grandmother was an artist and made some funky abstract pottery mobiles in the 70's. The kind that make a comforting soft chiming clatter in a breeze.

I loved all of those when I was a little girl and I think that has inspired my fabric garlands and mobiles a bit.

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo

Karen

Ladybug Kisses or My etsy!

2011-10-21T09:13:00.000+02:00

Today I have really exciting news to share with you. This week I finally opened my Etsy shop!

It's been something I've been wanting to do for a very long time now...

really since I was a little girl even before etsy or the internet was invented I've wanted to make and sell things. I remember loving it when my mom or grandmother took me to small art galleries. I just delighted in all the whimsical, lovely creations. Sometimes simple things that seemingly have little function other than making a person feel joyful in their heart and putting a smile on their face.

Spreading joy.

While other children sold lemonade, I used to paint pictures and set up art galleries. I was always making things. But then I grew up and started to let the sound of other voices influence me on my way down life's paths....until I came to a new fork in the road and decided it was time to truly follow the path that not someone else wants for me, but the one I chose a long time ago.

I'm so glad I did!

Stocking a real shop with my first wares of paper and cloth is so fun it feels like playing. I am enjoying the whole process, creating something with my hands, taking the photos, writing descriptions (and thinking, yes, I will start translating all of this into German....soon!), and then wondering...will someone stumble upon this in our endless cyberspace universe and think, what a perfect gift for so-and-so? Or for myself? The wondering is not awful like I expected but rather exciting!

I've named my shop

Katie-

(after my lovely daughter who inspires me with her kind and youthful spirit)

Claire's

(after my beautiful mother who inspires me with her gentle and kind ways)

Cottage

(which to me is not just a cute little place but

a simple and humble place

a place that is warm and cozy

a place that overlooks a lovely lake

a place that can weather a storm

a place that has old bones and creaky wood and peeling paint

but always gets dressed up for the holidays

and receives a fresh coat of color now and then

a place where stories are read to children

and family and friends fill the rooms with

laughter and love and light

and delicious food, of course

a place surrounded by gardens of flowers and trees

where stars above sparkle at night

a place to drop your anchor

and feel safe to dream your dreams)

I would be so honored if you stopped by to take a look at my shop! I am really quite grateful that the chance is just there for the taking to set up shop among so many talented artisans and crafters. You will find my sweet and simple fabric and paper creations and without giving to much away, I will hint that there is more to come!

I have to tell you that it has just been one small step and I am still taking lessons in courage and in listening (and trusting) my own voice (maybe we all are?) But a little thing happened to me at the beginning of this week that I wanted to share with you. Fall has arrived here in Germany with frosty temperatures, but during the day the sun comes out and was warm enough that I was out in the garden hanging laundry. A tiny buzzing creature flew smack into my cheek and instinctively I flung it off, which I then of course regretted. There, on my son's pajamas, had landed a little ladybug. I thought of my last post about ladybugs, Mary, the Beatles and so on. I've put that CD in the car, the one from 1967 that starts with “Back in the USSR”. That has become my music theme of October. It's almost become a broken record. If I'm not playing “Let it Be” on the piano, then my daughter is. And every time I chauffeur a child from here to there, we hear it again. It's been the cause of a few little history lessons, in which I have to explain things like “broken records” and “USSR” to incredulous little ears. But I digress!

It's time for new music, and I think that little ladybug smack was really just an encouraging kiss of good luck.

Wishing you ladybug kisses and a lovely weekend!

xoxo

Karen

tiny friends

2011-10-11T13:29:00.000+02:00

This past summer I had a frequent and tiny guest in my bedroom. One sunny morning I woke up to see her: a shiny little red bug with polka dots crawling along the edge of my pillow. After my initial fright at seeing something creeping on my white sheets, I relaxed and let her be. I love ladybugs, I think everyone does. We have many in our garden and they are always a happy sight.

A few nights ago as I was reading in bed she was there again and kept flying around me, landing on the pages of my book, crawling over my hand, being very persistent in getting my attention. I finally carried her over to the window and let her out into the night. But I could hardly concentrate on my book - a fictional novel about a woman in London who has no memory of her early childhood and bit by bit she is uncovering events from the blank years of her life. I closed my book and suddenly saw a forgotten image from my own childhood, a large ladybug stuffed animal with a music box inside. Our family traveled and moved extensively but as a small child I often had that musical ladybug nearby. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought about how contemplative spiritualists use the symbolism of animals or figures in dreams in order to discover divine messages. I vowed to look up ladybug in the morning.
In German, the ladybug has two names, Glückskäfer, (Luck-bug) and Marienkäfer (Mary-bug). The ladybug (“Our Lady”) is connected to good fortune and the unconditional love of Mother Mary. I discovered all sorts of history and symbolism by quickly googling ladybug. She is truly an amazing little creature that is beloved in cultures all around the world and has many interesting anecdotes and fortunes associated with her.
Do you know the ladybug nursery rhyme? I used to tell it my children when they were very little. You can find it and where it came from here.

After I had done enough research on ladybugs I browsed through some other websites that I check now and then. My heart did a little cartwheel when by chance I came across this little message! Read this, if you are so inclined, and enjoy the video link.

xoxo

Karen

making, baking....

2011-09-29T13:11:00.001+02:00

It's so true that less is more. In this case, the less time I have to spend on obligations not in sync with our family life equals more yummy things happening in our kitchen.

I have been using my new-found freedom and energy to do all the baking I have missed the past year. Brownies, peanut-butter cookies (my daughter requested those), apple-walnut spice cake (too many walnuts at the moment!)

and these amazing cinnamon rolls! The recipe is from Serena's delightful cookbook.

I have long been attempting to duplicate the best cinnamon rolls that my husband and I ever had in a cafe a very long time ago in small town in northern Michigan. All the recipes I've tried so far have been disappointing, but this recipe comes close. As my husband bit into one, he said, "mmm, Copper Harbor!!". Big smile. The children have no idea what he meant but I sure did! The rolls were so addictive I made a second batch and then we all had to go on a bit of a diet for a few days and take a few more hikes in the forest :) The glaze of butter and cream cheese is wickedly yummy and my little 6-year old son thought I should just make the glaze for eating. He was very helpful kneading the dough, too. That's the best part, I think!

I also have to admit to baking three batches of brownies. No photo as proof but I'm afraid it's true. However, the brownies were not for us but for special guests / school picnics / colleagues at work. Still am having trouble getting them out of the oven in time. They really are better not too well baked.

This has also been an extremely productive year for jam-making. Strawberry, red and white currants, gooseberry and apple, and cherry; those are my staples since we have moved to this house and cultivated some fruit in the garden (actually, more than enough!). My husband had been nurturing a neglected elderberry tree that came with our house and this summer it had so many berries I could make jelly for the first time. I'm not that familiar with it and the jelly is a gorgeous deep red / purple and tastes a bit grape-ish. Great source of Vitamin C. The quince are also another fruit high in C. I really thought with the elderberries, I was done with jam. But then my sweet neighbor asked if I wanted some quince, her tree branches were just laden with fruit and looked like they could barely hold them all. I didn't even really know what quince were until last week! They are very hard and have a shape reminiscent of a pear as well as a lemon.

As the juice I made from them was cooling, my 10-year old came in the kitchen and drank a glass of it, he claimed it was really delicious (he probably added a “bit” of sugar!). I added a bit of vanilla to make the jelly and it is not only quite tasty but also a beautiful shade of gold like honey.

These jars got dressed pretty to be given away as a gift. I usually just slap on a simple label and store the jars in the cellar. There is plenty down there for more gifts and for morning toast...I could possibly set up a stall at the market! I sincerely hope we are now done with jam-season and I also think we're going to take a little break with the baking now too. I think everyone would be happy if I would just get out the cookbooks for a decent dinner now....

xoxo

Karen

late summer treasures

2011-09-22T10:53:00.000+02:00

The days are getting shorter and the evenings are crisp. We have resumed our cozy reading sessions on the sofa, which is so nice. My youngest is already a school boy now and so busy with important responsibilities, friends, homework & play, no time for mom anymore, and yet, he turns into a mama-cuddle-monster the minute we start reading. How I cherish that! His favorite book the past days has been "Look What I found" and I don't mind reading it over and over. It is a Sesame Street book in which the characters go off on a field trip in the forest and find all kinds of treasures.

So in that spirit, let me share with you what we have found recently:) To start with, many, many walnuts. Thankfully I have two helpers who have really helped with the harvest. Everyday I spread the nuts out on a sunny place to dry. Just thinking of all the brownies I will bake motivated my son to pick as many as he could! I am thinking of caramelizing them in a pan to munch on for a winter's snack.....mmmm!

It is easy to find treasures on Etsy. The difficult part is making a choice with so many possibilities! We found this lovely artist based in Michigan and I had one pair shipped to my mom on the west coast, and one pair shipped to my daughter here with me. They look so pretty on her, she loves the romantic vintage look. I'll be back to her shop again for sure!

Summer's colorful finale in the garden has started and this rose by my front door is a miracle. I have to admit, I have some trouble with roses because I like my plants to be as self-sufficient as possible. And not only am I not a good rose-mama, but this rose was run over several times in it's first years by a child-sized tractor with a small boy on it :) Yet, it blooms in the spring, very pretty, and then in fall, no longer just pretty but absolutely stunning. The fragrance reaches you just walking by. Amazing.

I've used the pretty rose hips from a wild rose under our apple tree to make an autumn decoration by the front door.

I usually leave garden flowers outdoors but I did have to bring a lovely dahlia in my studio....a place where I am working hard these days, I will soon show you more!

xoxo

Karen

basking in september's sun

2011-09-15T10:58:00.000+02:00

September has been blessing us with some very lovely sunny days! We've been able to take our family swimming in our favorite lake on the first two weekends this month, the temperatures have been up and down, but fortunately, very pleasant on the Saturdays. How lucky we are!

I know it's fall, but I am full of a kind of springtime energy: baking, cooking, cleaning, organizing, making the last of the berries into jams....and making big plans (more on that soon!). I'm full of so many ideas right now and feel very productive at carrying them out. My husband jokes that I have that pregnant nest-instinct, but it's not that. Maybe it is a result of the calm summer we had with devoting a lot of time to doing things with our children. I think it's also a result of making some important decisions, setting priorities, and saying "NO!" to several commitments I had been involved in. And some good books I've read in the last few months have been helpful: Karen Kingston's famous Feng Shui book on getting rid of clutter in your home, and just recently, "Organized Simplicity" by Tsh Oxenreider. I highly recommend both!

It's enjoying the simple things, and trying to apply my energy to one task at a time, rather than multi-tasking. (OK, I admit I'll never stop doing that completely!) Homemade pesto is such a pleasure to make when you're not in a rush to the next task. And more fun to eat, too!

The whole family has been working together to stack the firewood for the coming winter. (My husband does all the hard work logging and splitting). So sweet when our littlest son gets up on the tractor trailer to hand us wood and the older kids are there too, making the work go much faster and also a lot more fun!

A few days ago I even painted our garage door white and it looks great! So happy I did that, why didn't I think of that sooner???! I don't have a photo of it yet, because I want to give it one final coat of paint, but here is a glimpse of what it looked like before:

Now I can sit here at my favorite little spot in our garden and see pretty white and not old metal!

The cats are also enjoying the warmth of these last summer days. I hope you have some sunshine in your corner on the world, too.

xoxo

Karen

anyway

2011-09-06T09:19:00.004+02:00

Do you ever come across something and then see it again a few days later, somewhere else? It's kind of like a gentle message when that happens I think. I don't know where I saw this anymore, but I do know that I read it once this summer in German in a magazine, and then a week later or so later in English on a blog or website, and liked it so much I printed it out and hung it on my inspiration board.

Anyway

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Be good anyway.

Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them.
Help them anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

- Mother Teresa

Trotzdem

Die Menschen sind unvernünftig, irrational und egoistisch.
Liebe diese Mensche trotzdem.

Wenn du Gutes tust, werden dich die Menschen beschuldigen, dabei selbstsüchtige Hintergedanken zu haben.
Tue trotzdem Gutes.

Wenn du erfolgreich bist, gewinnst du falsche Freunde und wahre Feinde.
Sei trotzdem erfolgreich.

Das Gute, das du heute getan hast, wird morgen schon vergessen sein.
Tue trotzdem Gutes.

Ehrlichkeit und Offenheit machen dich verwundbar.
Sei trotzdem ehrlich und offen.

Die Menschen bemitleiden Verlierer, doch sie folgen nur den Gewinnern.
Kämpfe trotzdem für ein paar von den Verlierern.

Woran du Jahre gebaut hast, das mag über Nacht zerstört werden.
Baue trotzdem weiter.

Die Menschen brauchen wirklich Hilfe, doch es kann sein, dass sie dich angreifen, wenn du ihnen hilfst.
Hilf diesen Menschen trotzdem.

Gib der Welt das Beste, was du hast, und du wirst zum Dank dafür einen Tritt erhalten.
Gib der Welt trotzdem das Beste.

Letztendlich ist dann alles eine Angelegenheit zwischen dir und Gott.
Sowieso war es nie eine Angelegenheit zwischen dir und anderen.

(Mutter Teresa)

I hope your September is off to a good start!

xoxo

Karen

remembering summer

2011-08-31T08:43:00.006+02:00

remembering summer.....
it goes so fast
we had so many good times with our little family
here are just a few memories

picking blueberries in the garden and baking muffins - these were made by my daughter, she's becoming quite the baker:)
mini-globes for party favors - my oldest son turned 10 - hard to believe
enjoying the beauties in our garden
swimming!
making fun layouts in my scrapbook :)
simply enjoying life's beautiful moments!
xoxo
Karen

what I have in common with the bees.....

2011-07-20T13:17:00.005+02:00

...is that I love lavender! All my bushes are buzzing with activity and are so fragrant.

xoxo

Karen

delcious days

2011-07-11T11:20:00.007+02:00

I feel like I'm up to my ears in berries these days! My son helped me pick blueberries from our garden yesterday morning for Sunday pancakes and I was so happy to hear him comment about how awesome our garden is with so much fruit right now. Before he was even born we dreamed of having a summer Eden where you could just walk around and find delicious things growing. Isn't it amazing when dreams like this come true? I am filled with gratitude! However....it is a lot of work trying to preserve the harvest. My husband and kids have been busy picking and I've been busy putting berries in ice-cream, making jam and jelly, applesauce, pies, even juice with this cool juice maker my mother-in-law had in her cellar storeroom.

I hope your summer days are delicious too!

xoxo
Karen

pale & interesting

2011-07-08T10:51:00.004+02:00

Our house and garden is probably more colorful and crazy than anything else, and I'm glad it's that way because I love bright and bold colors. But on the other hand, there is something really graceful and peaceful in decor that is lovingly set up in pale tones with tiny flashes of color. I just love paging through Atlanta Barlett's interior design book "Pale & Interesting"...on my coffee table right now. I've been inspired to find a little bit of this through my own lens.....
petunias, little olive tree, lavender from my neighbor (as a lovely gift for feeding her cat)
a postcard from the Beethoven museum I visited with my daughter recently....
carnations and snapdragons.....
a lovely bit of art I got from this amazing artist....
ferns and rocks and big white blooms....

and an angel with gentle reminders of love and light...
hope you all are having a lovely July!
xoxo
Karen

Midsummer / Art Journal Part 2

2011-06-22T10:45:00.005+02:00

Ever get the feeling that impish fairies have rubbed magic petals over your eyes? I guess that is my mood these days...life is the most colorful carousel and I can hardly take note of all the children's end-of-the-school-year- events and personal meaningful encounters. Not to mention the amazingness of being able to look live at the bright skies of Stockholm or Helsinki late last night via web-cams...rather than trotting off to bed like I should have. Maybe I just need more sleep!

But I'm sorry I am getting off on a tangent here! Before I digress digressing though, I just have to mention that my daughter played the most lovely fairy named Cobweb in “A Midsummer Night's Dream” this week and I do believe there is still much magic in the air.

Now back to arts & crafts (but of course it all goes together). Mervi mentioned on my flickr site that she couldn't wait to see more of my art-journal (how sweet she is!) so even though I have more empty pages than full, here is a preview of the bare bones and 1 or 2 pages partially completed.

The quilted cover and back is taken directly from the generous and talented artist Teesha Moore who offers great videos sharing her techniques. One evening I started randomly adding buttons to the cover and after a while it looked like a butterfly shape so I decided to go with that even though I hadn't initially intended so.

The next morning my son spotted the journal on the coffee table and was completely stunned by all the little stitches I had made (he's only 6 but seems to have an appreciation for the details of handmade, good for him!).

He then recognized the buttons he had picked out! I asked him if he knew what it was and he said, of course, it is a “Metterschling” which made me laugh. The word he meant was Schmetterling (German for butterfly) but it's one of those words like “spaghetti” that children sometimes say the wrong way around. I thought that was quite endearing, I will probably always think of that now when I look at the cover.

Here are some peaks inside; as I mentioned in part one I want this to be a collection of quotes on beauty and I am still searching for photos of my daughter, my mom, my grandmother....

The first page is from the Basic Grey line "Sweet Threads", how perfect it matches my fabrics. Rather amazing since I mostly order papers and fabrics on-line! Other pretty papers are Emma's Shoppe from Crate Paper and older things from my stash. To add visual variety I made lots of pockets and flaps and some hand painted watercolor pages.

The back I left plain and I think it will stay that way.

About the rose in the top photo: I was so thrilled to find David Austin roses in my garden center last weekend. The one I chose to splurge on is called Abraham Darby and it promises to be healthy and full of blooms. This blossom is fading but the perfume is divine.

Fairies, help yourselves!

xoxo

Karen

spring flowers

2011-06-19T17:36:00.004+02:00

Summer is just around the corner and I spent several hours in the garden yesterday. Here are some impressions of my favorite garden blooms from this spring, and some lovely quotes on flowers by some of my favorite artists. Enjoy!
"There are always flowers for those who want to see them."

- Henri Matisse

"I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty."

- Georgia O'Keeffe

"More than anything, I must have flowers always, always."

- Claude Monet

I found these quotes here. There are many many more!

xoxo
Karen

handmade embellishments

2011-06-17T10:16:00.008+02:00

I do promise a part two of my art journal soon but it seems to be taking a rest while I juggle preschool field trips, berries in the garden, everyday life which always kinds of explodes into so many tasks at the end of the school year. When I get too busy I know I should be mopping the floor but instead usually find a certain sense of "creative retreat" putting together layouts for my family scrapbooks. So here's a peak into what I've been doing recently.

I splurged on a new batch of supplies from this fantastic shop - highly recommend it if you live in Germany. As usual, total bliss when the package arrived with all the gorgeous papers. But then I realized I ordered mostly papers and hardly any little embellishments so I spent a morning making some of my own. I started with a few sketches:
Then I set to work playing around with my new papers (and some old papers as well). I had meant to add some textures with felt and other materials but was just so happy with the patterned paper that I didn't get that far. So much fun!
Trying out a layout or two here with this photo of my son I have in my pile of "photos & stories" waiting to be added to my scrapbook...so many possibilities....
Hope you're not too busy to find a few moments of creativity for yourself this weekend!

xoxo Karen

art journal, part I

2011-06-08T14:37:00.011+02:00

Here is a peek at the lovely mess in my studio right now :)

alphabet stamps, ribbons and flowers, pretty fabrics
& random buttons my son helped me pick out at the thrift shop.

I am challenging myself to create a mixed-media art journal. For a long time I have had this idea to do a scrapbook using different quotes on beauty I've been collecting. These lovely journals have inspired me to make more of an art journal rather than a scrapbook. I have put my papers together and the signatures are sewn in but the cover is still awaiting some embellishments.
Promise to show you more progress in part two next week!

Have a lovely Pentecost weekend ( it's a long holiday weekend here)!
xoxo
Karen

paper butterflies

2011-06-06T18:45:00.007+02:00

This spring my daughter and I decided to decorate one wall in the house with butterflies. I sketched a few templates and then she cut them out of patterned scrapbook paper.
I love the mix of papers she selected. I attached some thin floral wire to the backs so they were really easy to hang from hidden nails. They look they have just landed and are about to flutter away.

A little week in France

2011-05-31T10:10:00.010+02:00

I've been meaning to post about our spring vacation in lovely Alsace. So many highlights, the main one being just some special time to relax with family and friends.

We took LOONG hikes nearly everyday. The sun blessed us with great weather and just look at these lush hills and forests. Hiking in the Vosges mountains is simply amazing. Hardly any other hikers or bikers or climbers save for a farmer with his sheep now and then. Cuckoos sang to us and we came (nearly!) face to face with graceful deer and chamois. Our chalet was rustic and charming. It was perfect to share with dear friends and their children. We adults loved the Alsatian pottery and view of the hills out the big windows; the children loved the pingpong table in our chalet. Actually, I have to admit the table tennis was really enjoyed by young and old alike :)

We spent one day exploring a fantastic open-air museum (http://www.ecomusee-alsace.fr/) with dozens of original Alsatian farmhouses. There were storks everywhere!

This particular little farmhouse was so quaint and tiny and lovingly decorated – and had a live pig!

There were plenty of gardens but I especially liked this beautiful formal garden.

We also spent a day in Colmar – this town has a special place in my heart. Over the years I've visited many times and I will never tire of it. I just love cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses with window shutters painted in all shades of blue and green.

The artist Frederic August Bartholdi who designed the Statue of Liberty came from Colmar, so there is special shared pride between French and Americans here too. It's rumored that he modeled the Statue after his mother and wife – don't you just love that! I spied three versions – a Lego sculpture in a window, a local artists' take and then of course the statue of Bartholdi himself holding his statue.

We also had fun shopping in a covered market in Colmar.

We didn't have enough time to explore many sights in the mountains so we are definitely going to return. In the meantime, we are still enjoying this amazing cheese. Bon Appetit!

cookie-brownies

2011-05-30T13:03:00.005+02:00

Special treat this weekend, a new recipe we tried out from a recent issue of "Landliv" magazine (a gorgeous Scandinavian decorating magazine that is now available in Germany). These are really just brownies with a dollop of chocolate-chip cookie dough on top. The strawberries fresh from the garden are the perfect finishing touch :)

xoxo
Karen

2011-04-20T14:36:00.008+02:00

So happy to see you, Spring!

Would you have ever believed if you hadn't seen it? Magical transformations right before your eyes!

First, the faintest promise of yellow-green hovering like an aura around bare branches....suddenly, vibrant green and splatters of bright colors everywhere you look. Every spring I feel I'm witness for the first time to a new miracle-filled beginning. Right now I'm in love with all the little flowers in my garden, so happy to see that some that I planted by seed last year have come back, and equally delighted by the simple pleasure of shopping at the garden center and seeing instant results.

Of course we are so excited to see the bulbs that we bought at the farmer's market last fall emerge as long elegant tulips!

Lovely life is not just the pretty spring flowers.....but is also things like:

teenage chatter & giggles on the phone

little boys climbing trees

giving the cats anti-tick cures (the other side of spring!)

sorting out winter wools for spring cottons

the smell of laundry dried in the sun

a cup of lemon tea and a bit of paint....

stationary from a Japanese flea market & my daughter's name

( both acquired for a good cause )

not worrying about how I will possibly get all the laundry sorted

but simply looking forward to a little vacation in Alsace

with dear old friends whom we haven't seen in way-too-long

I hope you are also enjoying the little things. Happy Spring!

xoxo

Karen

Mothers & Daughters

2011-02-07T11:14:00.004+01:00

The theme “mother & daughter” has always been very important to me. My imaginary creative muse "katie-claire" is in fact a combination of my mom's and daughter's middle names, so I guess it is no surprise!

Recently I came across two books that while different in genre have this theme in common and are both so well-written & full of inspiration I just have to share them! “The Artistic Mother” by Shona Cole and “Traveling with Pomegranates” by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor.

I think I have read most of Sue Monk Kidd's books - both fiction and non-fiction - well, devoured is probably more accurate. I just love her style and contemplative insight. Her latest book is a joint travelogue written with her daughter. It's a wonderful journal of their journeys to sacred places in Europe and to themselves, really. I do hope to see more by her talented daughter Ann Kidd Taylor soon!

“The Artistic Mother” is a more practical book of encouragement and creative projects. Any of you with children know what a balancing act life becomes and Shona Cole has some great tips and interviews with artistic moms for taking your art time seriously. Even after reading (and re-reading it!) I simply enjoy seeing this beautiful cover with the words ”Art” and “Mother” together - and of course mixed-media art including Shona's daughters!

Wishing you inspiration and sunshine on this February day!

Xoxo
Karen

Winter Palette

2011-01-31T15:20:00.007+01:00

I know – it's more than a bit late – but I hope 2011 has started well for you. May you find much beauty and joy in the simple things that surround you in this new year! January always seems to have a cocoon-like spell on me. You're likely to find me wrapped up on the sofa with some good books – or reversely full of energy tackling major organization projects in the house. In January we celebrate our first child's birthday with family and friends. After that I generally decide it's really high time to put away the Christmas tree and décor. I was more than happy to exchange the high-voltage red for a softer palette: gray and white, pastel pink, dusty violet and a bit of green as a promise that spring will soon be around the corner. A tiny spot of fuchsia for spice. The robin flew from my branch and a blue bird came in his place.

My idea of a perfect January morning: a dreamy sunrise, coffee with milk and cd's by Norwegian singer Rebekka Bakken playing in the background. http://www.rebekkabakken.com/

Sometimes those kind of perfect mornings even grow into the type of day where there is time to be creative in the studio. I loved sewing these patchwork hearts to hang up next to blue bird.

I do think February will bring some paper flowers....but for now, we will enjoy the simple bareness of the branch with a pretty candle.
In the garden the frost lingers on but the layers of December snow have disappeared. My youngest son and I check the flower beds frequently to see if any of the bulbs we planted last fall are poking their heads up yet. Less than we can count on our fingers. Sleep on, sweet tulips; the birds may be chirping but snowflakes are still dancing in the air.

xoxo
Karen

Christmas décor

2010-12-17T12:13:00.009+01:00

This season, the Christmas décor in our house has been all about mixing textures, scents, and memories with the basic color trio of red, white and gray.

Of course, it must also be about being creative & handmade. My husband helped me find this branch on a lovely walk in our snowy forest. I gave it a bit of white paint and suspended it above the sofa. I sewed Mr. Bluebird from spool sewing http://www.spoolsewing.com - of course, now it is Mr. Robin. In addition I hung some glitter stars, soft hearts, pine cones & feathers and cut out the letters to spell “noel”. Voila!

As snowflakes fell outside my window I sat snug in my studio and sewed some red pillows for the sofa – a soft, velvety corduroy.

I was thrilled to find this lovely bird and elk fabric and made a pillow and a runner for the table.

A pretty amaryllis stands tall next to this wooden hunter & his faithful dog - a Christmas gift from my husband from ages ago. I adore seeing him again every winter - the hunter, that is! :)
The house isn't (yet!) filled with the aroma of cookies baking, but I did find this oil called “Winter Fairy Tale” - a delicious blend of cinnamon, cardamom and orange. A few drops warmed over a tea light bring a lovely scent into the house.

Now, the children are asking if we can finally find a tree tomorrow.....let's hope so!

Happy Weekend!
xoxo
Karen

frosty delights

2010-12-08T10:36:00.006+01:00

We have been enjoying frosty days and icy-cold nights. And lots of snow! Just lovely with all the cheerful Christmas decorations in the streets and houses in our town.
I have to admit, I am a "less is more" type when it comes to outdoor decorations and lights. I have one strand of white lights on the little peach tree in front of the house and some red accents by the front door - some red lanterns for candles and a basket of cones, evergreens and heather and a romantic little angel.
I have always wanted to make ice-ornaments. I filled baking tins and forms with water and some holly leaves and berries and let them freeze overnight. They certainly were cold to handle but with my optimistic little helper we managed to hang them up.
Then...the temperatures rose....and the ornaments started to drip a bit, but are all still hanging. Only one circle did melt halfway and has formed a perfect moon. Delightful!

xoxo
Karen

Advent Preparations

2010-11-29T12:05:00.007+01:00

November has been mild. My daisies and calendula and little roses are still blooming! The first snow fell this past weekend and my flowers are stoically still standing tall but wrapped in a thick white blanket.

Family life & my new working schedule has kept me away from keeping in touch with flickr friends & my creative impulses. The children seemed to have taken on many new activities this fall which means even more time spent chauffeuring them to places. I feel fortunate when I have a moment to myself, even if it is to just gaze out the window and to spy a little bird close to our house. Recently this woodpecker was knocking and tapping around in our wood pile. Can you see him?

No matter how tight time is, there MUST always be some left for creating and this Advent and Christmas I am squeezing out as much as I can. I completed our Advent's Wreath last week and yesterday we lit the first candle. I decided not to use the traditional evergreen branches but to go for a different look this year. I started with some favorite fabrics and some frosty red candles and created a patchwork wreath.

Of course my faithful little robin is there too, and I did not glue him down so he can move around and accompany us through all the seasons, as he has for the last few years.

Another change this year is that the Advent Calendar is a family effort. I stamped out 24 tags and after dinner one evening, everyone drew numbers until all were taken.

Each family member has approx. 5 days she or he has to prepare a small gift for the family such as 5 little chocolates, nuts, a poem etc. These are to be wrapped and tied with the number and then placed in the “Advent Calendar Basket”. The reactions at the table were mixed and I have 3 requests for the 24 little felt stockings we've been using for the past 10 years so I guess we may just have 2 calendars this season! However, the basket calendar is filling up quite quickly. There has been a lot of elf-like activity and closed doors and secrecy going on recently! I think it is a great idea because a) everyone is involved b)it is at least as much fun to wrap presents as to open them and c) I get some surprises, too :)!

I did help my youngest son make his gifts and he prepared the most adorable little clothespin angels. I promise I will show them to you when the family opens it.

The walnuts from our tree were so plentiful this year and I sewed a gingham and linen bag for them. Matching placemats for the table are being assembled in my studio right now. I just wonder...should I leave them plain or embroider white stars on them? I am very drawn to simple understatement right now.

Endlessly inspired by our feathered friends, we made paper birds in a crafts class for children I held recently. These are stunning & simple and so easy for even small children to make.

You can find the template and instructions here: http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/Christmas-craft-ideas-paper-bird/v1

I think we will make some more in the next couple of weeks. Maybe you will too!

A joyful start of Advent to you all!

xoxo

Karen

ah sunflower

2010-11-05T10:32:00.007+01:00

Ah Sunflower

Ah Sun-flower weary of time.
Who countest the steps of the Sun:
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the travellers journey is done

Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow:
Arise from their graves and aspire,
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go!

William Blake

1794

I wrote a paper on William Blake in 12^th grade British Literature class....but I don't remember exactly what the theme was. I do remember my teacher disliked Blake – too esoteric. I liked him – Blake and my teacher, too, actually.

But what I really love is this field of sunflowers my son and I came upon on our walk recently. I went there again Monday and they were still blooming!. Some of these photos are mine, some are from the perspective of a person approx. 1 meter 20 cm tall. Can you tell which? :)

Sunflower sunshine to you!

Xoxo

Karen

party preperations

2010-10-30T11:36:00.005+02:00

Do you like Halloween? I have mixed feelings about it - but of course having grown up in the USA, I have fond memories. Trick-or-treating and dressing up in various costumes my mom sewed - a ladybug, a ghost, etc. and oodles of candy - a child's dream!

My two oldest children have decided to throw parties for their friends this year; just leafing through our little collection of Martha Stewart magazines get us all inspired.

Everyone is excited - we'll play games, carve a jack-o-lantern and I think I'll serve pumpkin soup in the shell, with fresh baked bread sticks. What child doesn't love to dress up in costume? It's been a few years since our last party. Plus....we do have a box of decorations in the cellar and when else will we use our special Halloween cookie cutters?

So much of the fun is the preparation, don't you think? I loved seeing how concentrated the children each worked on their invitations. Even though they were quite simple - we just photocopied some of the M. Stewart templates - the children were creative with their handwriting and I think they turned out rather nice!

Even our cat Spooky seems to have gotten in the mood and become part of the natural Halloween decor in front of the house!

I hope - wherever you may be - that you have a Happy Halloween and a good start into the month of November.....
xoxo
Karen

thankful for so much....

2010-10-27T12:05:00.015+02:00

Hello friends!

The first part of this post is about some very sweet things that have happened recently. As I mentioned in my last post, Valerie

sent me this surprise birthday gift - totally spoiled me. But I hadn't yet taken a photo of it, and it is actually a bit of a challenge because of the glass frame. Great photo or not, here is it is!

What a surprise indeed to find this special collage - something I had commented and faved from her Moline's flickr quite a while ago - generous Valerie just went to her etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/moline) and bought it, framed it (in such a pretty frame!) and shipped it to me! I have it sitting here on the shelf surrounded by other handmade goodness: an angel and pears (Tilda patterns) I sewed, a scrapbook I made for my daughter a couple years ago and the pretty jam covers from Sonia you've seen before :) . I just love the colors and papers in the collage - you see how they match my other decor. A big hug to Valerie (http://ourrainbowland.blogspot.com/) - indeed she and her family are my thoughts right now. Everyday I walk around our house and see bits & pieces from flickr friends and reflect on how amazing it is to have met all of you! Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, the postman rang and brought me yet another package, this time from England, I could hardly believe my eyes!

Dear Joanie (http://ninimakes.typepad.com/) created this simply gorgeous embroidered K lavender sachet. My favorite colors and scent! So sweetly packaged in tissue paper and tied with strings and darling vintage buttons. Even the back is delightful. I can't believe I'm so lucky to receive this!

Plus, there was a package of naturally flavored English gummy treats for my children and I quote my son P: "These are the BEST gummy bears I have EVER tasted!!!!!" So thank you from all of us, sweet Joanie! This sachet will not disappear into my closet for sure but will be displayed for my eyes to enjoy for a long time.

* * * * *

The second part of this post is about September & October in our home and garden. Our first light frost has come but my Calendula & Daisies & a few last Roses are still blooming! I will let the pictures do most of the talking :)

Fall reading....craft books from the library and a new book to keep - seasonal decorating ideas by German florist /decorator Imke Johannson (http://www.dekoliebe.de/)

The two books from the library were fun to look through but we didn't make anything. The Johannson book is really beautiful and has decoration ideas using natural materials for each month of the year. I immediately had to sew these two adorable squirrels from her book - although I changed the pattern slightly. So cute!

I like the soft colors of these pears and apples on the table....and I can't resist sharing this delicious pumpkin & cheese quiche with you.

My son became inspired to make some imaginary "Fairy Houses" - how can one not after collecting all the lovely fruits of fall? Little Nanou nut came to visit! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesfabulationsdenanou/)

The "Potato King" he made in preschool reigns over the fairy house and nibbling squirrels and other offerings of nature gathered on the table. And yesterday, a new chestnut creature (love his wobbly smile!) came home from preschool and I do believe it was love at first sight!

Enjoy the last days of October, everyone!

xoxo

Karen

A good harvest

2010-09-10T09:34:00.006+02:00

The area next to our vegetable garden has burst into a sea of sunflowers (self-planting from last summer's flowers) and pumpkins (my planting). The birds have spent the past weeks delighting in the sunflower seeds, and luckily our cats are too sleepy to be out hunting!
My youngest son and I selected one of many ripe pumpkins to pick in our garden this week. I have planted various pumpkins and squashes in the past years and this French variety is delicious. This one pumpkin turned into several vegetarian casseroles and soups as well as sweet pumpkin & chocolate chip squares. In addition I gave a quarter of the pumpkin to my in-laws and froze several liters as puree. And that was only the first or many pumpkins!
I've been really motivated to making healthy meals lately. Perhaps it's all the delicious fruits and pretty colors in the garden right now, or just the reaction to the cold wet weather we've been having (trying to ward off the first sniffles and coughs I've been hearing /not in our family though!).
I've also been harvesting alfalfa sprouts in the kitchen and making the family colorful, vitamin-packed salads. The beets and parsley are fresh from the garden. I spent an hour chopping two bowls of parsley, now in the freezer for winter soups and salad garnishing.
My husband has raised gorgeous tomatoes but they just won't turn red. It seems like summer abruptly stopped in late August and it has been cool and rainy ever since. But we haven't given up hope yet! This weekend should be sunny.
But despite the cold and rain, nature is treating us to her usual generous beauty. The raindrops on the flowers are magical little sparkling pools that I find delightful and dreamy.
A few dry days gave me the chance to harvest an amazing amount of lavender. I hope to use it for making sachets and fall decorations, but I think it also looks simple & pretty in the basket.

Speaking of fragrant, isn't this a sweet little sweet-pea?

Yesterday I went to our local nursery and came back with all of these lovely things! I hope Saturday will be a quiet day to play around in the garden. Sunday will be full with various volunteer commitments and Monday I'm going to be at my new job all day! I'm doing creative work with patients for a few hours per week. I'm kind of stressed out wondering how I'm going to manage it all. I guess we'll just see! The first days have been good....
An amazing thing happened this week! My flickr friend Valerie sent me this huge package covered with gorgeous stamps! Even the delivery man had to comment on the stamps! What a surprise. Inside were the sweetest gifts and note ever and a lovely collage in a glass frame that arrived in one piece! I just love it. I will have to try to get a decent photo of the artwork in my next post. My son was thrilled as I (you can see his wrist!) - real mail is always exciting.
I truly can't get over the generosity of new friends I've made via flickr. I just have goosebumps all over and am so grateful to have met so many creative, positive people. The connections I've made as well as those I've observed others making are a truly inspiring.
Believe it or not, I HAVE been sewing! I hope to participate in a) a crafts fair or b) an etsy shop or c) both! and have started a collection of hand-made Christmas (or year round) ornaments and decor. Here are some glimpses of my gingham and toile de jouy hearts accompanied by happy zinnias.

Have a greet weekend! xoxo Karen

Ten things I've been doing this summer

2010-07-18T19:12:00.014+02:00

1. Picking flowers of all colors and putting them in little jars tied with ribbons.

2. Eating watermelon, held here by my daughter.
3. Seeing the seeds I planted in spring turn into big bushes of pretty pink flowers.
4. Smelling the roses.
5. Finding snippets of time to play around in my studio. Rearranging birds on a canvas. Sewing strips into squares to make a vintage-y patchwork throw. 5 of 36 squares complete!
7. Deeply inhaling my all-time favorite scent of lavender...... and smiling at the sunflowers.
8. Preserving our berries for winter. The cellar is full of jams & jellies already, and slowly the freezer is filling up with berries and other garden treats. Yesterday we made applesauce from the summer apples and put in in the freezer to save for the winter.
I think of all the jams, this "Josta" jelly is the best - very tart & such a pretty color. "Josta" is a berry that is part "Johannisbeere" (currant) and part "Stachelbeere" (gooseberry). Mmmmm!
9. Throwing fresh basil into salads.
10. Wondering why the chamomile seeds I planted in the herb garden don't seem to be coming.
Oh, it must be that little tiger who has found that very spot to take a nap!

xoxo Karen

grubby, tender, promises of joy

2010-07-13T20:58:00.006+02:00

I love it when grubby little hands - accompanied by a enthusiastic "look, mama!" - come to share with me the tender treasures they hold. To a five year old, these little wings are a miracle, and when he holds them like this I am aware of miracles, too.

Sometimes the grubby little hands find a ladybug that grant him10 minutes of tickling amusement before she finally opens her magical wings and silently buzzes off to a secret garden.

And isn't it wonderful when the little hands can scoop up the very strawberries they have picked from our garden and enjoy their sweetness for desert?

Which brings me to some photos of our kitchen garden in June. The first of very many berries.....
growing in five rows in the top section of the garden. It looks so empty compared to now in mid July!
Countless bowls were picked and put into the freezer or our tummies or made into jam and are now keeping cool in the cellar. But a few jars remain in sight in the kitchen with cheerful jam covers made by my friend Sonia http://www.flickr.com/photos/cozymemories/. How happy they make me, they are just so sweet!

And I snapped a photo of the sky one June day thinking "airplane kisses" as I saw this x. I do hope all travelers this summer have safe journeys high up in the sky or down here on the earth. I had to smile when I saw my friend Joanie http://www.flickr.com/photos/21678807@N04/4780620069/ had an "airplane kiss" photo up too.

xoxo Karen

crazy june!

2010-07-11T20:51:00.012+02:00

It's nearly the middle of July, and I'm still mentally in June - June was crazy! The end of the year school activities seemed to be more than ever before. I feel so lucky that I could see our 3 children perform in recitals, musicals, performances, even a circus! (And I hardly took any photos - even though I love to record events in my scrapbooks - sometimes, I feel I must just LIVE and enjoy the MOMENT THAT IS without my camera) I am also grateful that I had the chance to volunteer: taught some classes, sewed some costumes, organized a little crafts exhibit....the list goes on...! But I said "yes" a few too many time I think (not doing that next time!!). I read somewhere that June and December are the busiest months for moms. How true. Suddenly without noticing it June had flown by!

However, I did snap a few photos of my garden and I am thankful for that, because it looks quite different now. Here are some of my June favorites:

romantic little garden in a pot by the front door

sage and chives reaching for the sky in the herb spiral

new rose plant for a new flower garden we added this year - this is a "renaissance rose" and has the most gorgeous bloom as well as strong sweet scent - heaven! After I planted it, I found out my mother was planting new roses in my grandmother's garden - I love that!

Me wearing my favorite color aqua...:)

fuschia & white on a window sill
a rusty sunflower candle-holder/decoration
and a new clematis with purple blossoms

potted herbs on the kitchen stepsmy daughter picked out this welcoming little terracotta
hedgehog (it fits in your palm) for our front door

one of many geraniums in a pot

and last but not least, the beginning of my little

"yellow and white and green" garden with lovely daisies.....

xoxo Karen

La Primavera

2010-05-27T10:41:00.015+02:00

One thing I love about spring is harvesting fresh herbs from the garden. So many simple pleasures: the various shades of green, the textures from fuzzy to smooth, the intense aromas, the meditative mood I fall into while preparing them for cooking.

The other day as I rocked the rolling blade over a handful of herbs, my mind turned over ideas for the first real post for katie-claire. Spring and new beginnings are in the air. For a long time I've been enjoying other's artful blogs as amazing places of creative connection. But how to start? A blank page is always such a challenge!And I have to admit, I'd like the first post to be a bit special.

I flipped on the radio and the kitchen filled with strings playing “La Primavera” by Vivaldi. The music immediately triggered a memory of a time past, a moment which sums up so many things that I want this blog to be about: simple joys, the uniqueness of childhood, memories, creative wings, beauty, gratitude. I knew at once this little memory is the way I want to start....

My daughter was four at that time and had just started dance classes. Together, we became addicted to a ballet performance to the “Four Seasons” by a German dance company (http://www.zeitenwende.com/ballettmainz/). It had come on tv late at night so I taped it to watch later, and the two of us fell in love with it. We must have watched it every day. I had never been a huge fan of Vivaldi's music - beautiful and baroque as it is - but after watching the dancers' contemporary interpretation the music grew on me like a climbing flower.

Before the performance began, the camera took us quickly behind the stage for a glimpse of the international dancers stretching and warming up in their sweatshirts and leggings, and then applying thick makeup. One dancer waved to the camera with a big smile and said, “Hi mom, I love you soooo much”. We could never tire of him saying that in a sincere but cheesy way that made us laugh. The choreographer was introduced and spoke a few words on contemporary dance. We loved watching this little “behind the scenes” show. And then suddenly the music from “La Primavera” began; the curtains parted to present three couples. They danced and flirted, the girls like fragile spring tulips in their petal pink silky bodices held by tiny spaghetti straps, swirling their circle skirts so you could see that the pale green lining underneath. For the next 45 minutes we drifted off to the beauty of a year of seasons.

It was just as delightful to watch my daughter twirling about, lost in her imagination. For a few minutes I would forget the physical heaviness of being pregnant with my second child, who was due soon. The music and dance raised us both up to a higher level (I'm sure the baby was listening too!). I was equally full of anticipation for my summer baby as I was filled with love for the little girl dancing around in her joyful little dream world.

Spring is anticipation, isn't it, a risky kind of thing, those fragile little leaves poking out of the dirt to a possible rainstorm, a hungry insect, or foot trampling over them. Daring blossoms challenging nature's possible mean trick of a late frost. Oh, so many things could go wrong. Or they could go right.

seize the day

2010-05-21T14:47:00.008+02:00

Today is the day!

I am finally starting something I have wished to do for so long.

My first blog entry....short and sweet for starters.

Happy weekend :)

xoxo
Karen