I'm totally with Susanne on this one! No fireworks around here except for a few sparklers. Our first dog spent New Year's Eve in the shower each year. It was the only place she felt save. And Mücke and Juri, our two cats, will probably spend tonight behind the couch or under the bed. I don't even want to know about all the animals outside! Hopefully they'll all find a good place to hide.
A happy New Year's Eve to all of you! And remember: Shhh!
Is laying on the table on my arms while I type on the keyboard, is getting a bit annoyed, wants me to stop and pet him... Okay, cutie pie!
Turn up your volume really loud and party on!A great suggestion from the very sweet Sofia who's music taste is the best! The Fratellis are really awesome and so are The Ting Tings (who I also listen to because of Sofia). You really should check them out as well. I'd post another video here but I think it messes with my blog...
We had a good time! We spent Christmas Eve at my parent's, had some yummy dinner and ice cream. The non vegan kind looked pretty good...
...but I'm sure the vegan kind tasted way better (especially with the green jello)! We played some games and exchanged gifts (I got a new lens for my camera and a flash!)
We drove to C's parents on the 25th. Had some yummy lunch, played with the remote controlled dragonfly my sister in law had given to her boyfriend, ate some cake, drank coffee and left for our little trip to Zingst at the coast.
Went for a walk, had to watch the (traditional) Christmas diving...
...couldn't wait for the divers to recover the hidden treasure because it was so freezing cold.
Met part of C's family who came to visit us and went window shopping through the town.
Ended the day with some good pizza and seabuckthorn glogg (Sanddorn-Glühwein).
I received the toadstool ornament from Johanna as a gift a couple of weeks ago for babysitting her panda bear. Then my friend J. gave me a wonderful book for my birthday with super great crafting ideas inside.
When I saw the gold plated cones I got myself all the supplies the very next day. What a messy thing to do but I just love my golden cones and I think the look lovely with the toadstool ornament and the red ribbon.
My secret pal sent me a Christmas gift and I couldn't stop myself from opening the package a little early! Look at all the pink goodness!!! 
She sent pink socks, two sets of pink gloves, pink panda cotton, pink stitch markers, a pink bandana and pink fabric and like that wasn't enough already she also included a book... this one: 
Oh my goodness! All the little softy friends in there are just so adorable! I love the dog, the zebra, the pig and not to forget the little panda:
And all the others are awfully cute too. I feel like going through all my socks and gloves right now to check which ones I could make.
Unfortunately there are quite a few gifts laying around here which I need to wrap first. And then our house needs a bit of cleaning. Plus I'll have to bake a cake tomorrow which we can take to my parents in law on the 25th. We'll visit them first and then drive on to the little hotel at the coast where we'll stay for two days. I'm so looking forward to some peace and quiet with C. that the softy friends will have to wait a couple of days...
I just now realized that I never posted about the other fabulous gift I received from my secret pal! She sent me a iTunes gift card for my birthday. And I got myself the Peter Fox album. Here's one of my favourite songs:
the holidays! Yay! I didn't think I would be so exausted after just 7 weeks but I am. And I really hope the reason for that is that it was all really new for me because I know the following weeks will probably be way more work intensive.
Oh well, I'll just wait and see. Until then I'll enjoy my days off and our little trip to the Baltic Sea!
I finally managed to take some more pictures (first I had forgotten my camera and then the next week I had left the memory card at home).
I think this little town is just so sweet and I love my water mill! Coming home to it on sunny days really makes me happy. I can't wait to use my balcony!
See the 2 windows at the top? In front of the right one is my huge balcony and the pond is right across the street.
Spring! I'm so looking forward to spring! And that's three more months? Oh no!
(Note to self: Stop thinking about spring and finally get in the mood for Christmas and winter!!!)
That's as creative as it gets around here these days! No knitting, no stitching and still no sewing! I'm really looking forward to the holidays now. School is still a lot of fun but also also a little exhausting. When I come home on Friday afternoon after my two hour drive I could just hop into bed and sleep until Saturday! I think (or hope?!) I just have to get used to everything.
I snapped two little pictures when the weather wasn't that bad. Some timber framing on the wall of "my house". I love it so much! I wish we could build a house with walls like that!
My second week at school was really nice too. I also feel a little bit more at home at my apartment. It's still not absolutely finished but it's getting there.
I have so many plans for things I'd like to sew but I'm not sure yet when I'll find the time for it. The weekends at home are way too short and it looks like it will get a lot busier during the week as well now that the seminars have started and all the instructors have told us what they expect from us.
On Wednesday all the new trainee teachers went on a little trip through the county. We were so lucky with the weather and I enjoyed some of the places we visited immensely. Like for example an old mill that is turned into some kind of a museum and that is still functioning. I'll most definitely visit it again!
Since I live in a water mill now too I felt directly addressed by the good luck sign for millers:
In the evening we drove to the moor land where about fifty thousand cranes are taking a rest on their way to Soutern Europe. I so wished we could have spend more time there. It really is an amazing view to see them all come in from the fields. Of course I didn't think of taking my big lense and could only take crappy pictures. I guess I need to go there again too.
All in all I really had a good week but I was still a little down. I still don't have a phone or internet access and I do feel quite lonely there once school is out, even though everybody in my little town is super nice. I was hoping to find some other trainee teachers that live close by but I had no luck at all! I'm actually starting to think about joining some sort of club or group. Even Tupperware parties become a lot more appealing to me than I ever expected...
About a year ago I promised C. I'd do just one more swap. Oh well, that didn't work out at all. I don't even want to count the ones I joined since then.
And when I saw that I could finally sign up for a Secret Pal swap (which I always thought were just super special) I had to do it. Just one more swap, right?!
Here's the questionnaire for the SP13:
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I really like bamboo, cotton, linen, corn and soy yarn as well as any non-animal/vegan fiber (let it be natural or synthetic!). Everything that comes from an animal is not for me!
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My dpn's are stored away nicely in the case I made for them while all the circular ones are in a simple plastic bag.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned how to knit from my great grandmother when I was in elementary school and have since been more or less into it. Fall and winter are usually my only knitting seasons though and I think I'd consider myself still just an advanced beginner.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope, I don't. ETA: I totally forgot that I do of course have my list of Etsy favorites!
5. What's your favorite scent?
I like fresh scents just as much as sweet ones like caramel or vanilla. I'm not too fond of heavy flowery ones.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes, unfortunately I love ANY kind of vegan candy!
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
No spinning but lots of sewing, some counted cross stitch, a little crocheting and a big interest in any new craft I find out about!
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
Rock, pop and alternative are probably the ones I like best but I'd love to listen to my pal's favorite music... whatever it is!
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I think I like almost every color except for dark blue and neon colors.
Sometime when I look at my blog or my fabric stash I can't help noticing that pink seems to be overly popular around here.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm married (haha, still think that's funny!) and we are owned by two cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to scarves, hats and mittens and no to ponchos.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
All of the above or any other small project!
13. What are you knitting right now?
Fingerless gloves.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course! Who doesn't?!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like circular needles much better than straight ones (except for dpn's of course).
I own a lot of aluminium needles but think I prefer bamboo or rose wood.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, I don't.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I don't have any. Anything that doesn't get finished in an acceptable amount of time will get tossed or ripped. Sometimes it just has to be that way.
18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?
We don't really have that many holidays here in Germany that we'll celebrate (or did I forget some?!). No big Thanksgiving or Halloween parties here and of course no 4th of July either. I guess I really like the two we do celebrate: Easter and X-Mas.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Nothing worth mentioning here.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? 21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'm sure there are tons of things out there which I absolutely NEED but right now I can't think of anything. I just really love to try new yarns and books are always super appreciated!
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes... sort of but I'm so darn slow! 5 1/2
23. When is your birthday?
November 19th
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yes, I'm and I'm suessstoff there as well.
It's a big fat YAY! My first week at school was really really great. The kids are just awesome and all of the other teachers were really sweet and helpful. A very good start I'd say. I'm looking forward to the next weeks and the start of the seminar so I can meet all my fellow trainee teachers again and find out who's living close by.
That is the only thing I'm not so happy about right now. I feel pretty lonely after school! I miss the cats, C., my friends and parents a lot! Hopefully it won't be so bad anymore once I have my phone and internet access. Possibly Monday it will all be fixed.
My little appartment starts to look really nice now. My parents came over for a quick visit and my dad installed all the lamps. A few more pictures on the wall and a few more accessories from home and I'll be all done. I'll show you then! For now I'll show you the view from my bathroom window:
Aren't the geese the cutest?! There are also a couple of ducks and I love their cackling and quacking especially when they wake up.
I can't wait for spring. The first of the two buildings is the registry office and I think I'll be able to watch some beautiful weddings... from my balcony which offers an even better view to the little pond.
(The cupcakes are Banana Split Cupcakes from VCTOTW. Yum! I made three different kinds in total figuring it couldn't hurt to take them to school for my new colleagues.)
About two weeks ago C and me were looking for a little flat for me near my new school. At first it looked as if I wouldn't find anything really close by but then I got super lucky and found the most perfect one. Just like that!
I didn't take any pictures yet because the first time we looked at it I didn't bring my camera and the second time we were busy moving all my furniture. Nothing can stop me next time though (PLEASE let it be a sunshiney day!)!
Anyway, since I'll only be living there for 18 months I want to keep it simple. Most of the rooms have just been painted and I'll keep them as they are but I don't think I can live with the hallway and the living room colors. While I have made up my mind on what to do with the living room I am not at all sure on what to do with the hallway. It's now reddish and beige and has a bordure on it. So turning it to white will probably take multiple layers of paint. Not an option for me right now!
Instead I'm torn between red + aqua or red, orange + pink like this cute little suitcase I received from Kaatje in our swap:
Boy, this is tough! I keep looking at other blogs and pictures on flickr and there are sooo many combinations I'd like. What shall I do?
Are you still there?! (Insert deep sigh here) I don't know where to start! It's been quite a while since my last post and a lot has happened during that time. Plans were made, were revised, new plans were made.
Summing it up it would probably go something like that: C and me finally (after months and months of (re-)consideration) signed the contract and will begin to build a house this winter.
Then I also got notice that I can start my internship at a school on Monday, November the 3rd. The school is (a bit) further away than what I had wished for so I'll be moving to a (super awesome!) flat the weekend before that and will only come home on weekends and during my vacations.
These two big undertakings kept us busy during the last weeks. Looking at show houses, talking to people at the bank, deciding on the layout of our new house, looking at kitchens, looking for a flat near my new school, buying furniture, ... there was a lot to do and think about!
Unfortunately me starting to work at a school also meant that I had to say bye to my beloved "job": taking care of little Pandabär.
And since I don't know how much spare time and energy I'll have for sewing it also means shutting down my Etsy store (at least for now). I suppose even if I get to sew a lot, I'll be working on stuff for my little flat and the new house most of the time.
So, a lot has changed in my life and I think this blog might change a bit too during the next months. I predict lots of school talk and of course I'll also be talking a lot about wall colors and kitchen tiles and furniture and so on in the near future even though all these decisions have to be made when all the big stuff is already done. Let's hope it goes well!
C enjoyed being the important person to draw the lucky winner when he came home from work last night. He turned it into a big show and I wish you could have seen it too (very entertaining!). In the end he finally managed to draw one piece of paper from the bowl and it's emma (emsan)!!! I'll make sure to get your little package on its way as soon as possible, Em!
Now I need to thank each and every one of you! Your suggestions are deeply appreciated!
I am in the middle of trying to put your ideas to practice. The suggestion to add some less expensive items, which came from quite a few of you, is probably a very good one!!! I already have something in mind. Let's see how that will turn out.
I don't think I'll be able to lower the prices in general. Of course I do love to sew and it does bring a lot of joy but unfortunately fabrics, thread, buttons, zippers, a.s.o. are fairly expensive in Germany and I'd really like to make some profit too... just to make up for all the time I spend on every single item and just so I can buy more fabris and sewing supplies actually.
Once I'll add some more items I'll most definitely start to use different categories and if I should actually have a creative moment I might even come up with better names for the things I make.
To list items as often as possible is probably another very good advice... at least that's what I read now in some forums too! I never thought of listing one item at a time but that way of course one will be easier to be found during searches.
I hope to get it all fixed within this month and will probably post about it once its done. Thanks bunches! You all rock!
I really am overwhelmed by all your responses to my last post!!! First of all it sets a new record (regarding the numer of comments and I really could get used to that!) and then I really like all your thoughtful ideas and suggestions! I'm definitely going to consider each and every one of them. I'm already working on some things I'm going to change/add.
All of your comments are very helpful to me! Thank you so much for taking the time and sharing your thoughts!
I now do remember why I didn't have more giveaways on here. The thought that just one of you will be rewarded for her efforts is not a very nice one! Unlike last time I unfortunetly won't be able to change my guidelines and can't sent something to everybody who participated (6 people where much easier to handle back then).
Time to show you what exactly you could win, I guess. I decided to keep one item a surprise though. I hope you'll like these as much as I liked your comments... keep them coming! You still have until Sunday night!
I just realized that I missed my blog anniversary, my 100th post and even my 15oth post! Since my last (and only) giveaway was ages ago I figured another one was more than due. I really want to thank everybody who ever commented here and also every silent reader I might have. (I'm not a frequent commentor myself but there are a lot of blogs I enjoy on an almost daily basis and I'm glad there are so many creative people out there which inspire me and keep me going!)
Now here's the idea:
All you need to do to be entered into the drawing is check my Etsy store and then come back and leave me some constructive feedback or give me some advice on what to change or tell me the selling-strategy that works best for you. Anything goes! I swear I won't take it personally. You may keep it short if you prefer to do that.
What do you get for all your effort?!
The chance to win some strawberry goodies! This little bag and some other cute things I'll put inside. 
I already have three items I'll include but I'm also waiting for something else I ordered. For now you'll have to believe me that it's awesomley cute stuff but I may upload a picture once I got it all together! 
You can only enter into the contest once (even though I'll appreciate each and every feedback you might want to leave me at any time!) and it is important that you comment here and NOT on flickr to be entered into the drawing!
I'll close this contest next Sunday, August 3rd at midnight (CET). Then I'll let C. do the drawing on Monday and announce the winner here.
Thank you for participating and GOOD LUCK!
I finished 11 of these cuties. I wanted to take a picture of all of them together but that seems to be harder than I expected. Maybe it's just to windy or maybe I need to chop down some trees first or mabe I simply need a studio?! I'll have to try again later. Right now I need to clean up the mess in the kitchen and the living room. Why can't I seem to sew without leaving nothing but chaos behind?
Our cats like to hang-out on our roof or the surrounding ones. They can just jump from one to another or balance over the connecting balks. Of course the cats of our neighbors think that these are cool places too, so today I was met by this girl who greeted me very friendly.
I'm not sure what she thinks of Mücke and Juri or what they think of her. I'm sure we'll see find out soon because my boys certainly won't give up this spot. See this grumpy and feisty little guy?
On another note... Mass production is not my kind of thing but I think I should do it more often. It saves a lot of time that's for sure!
I hope to finish these WIPs tomorrow.
My first actually. I've seen quite a few on flickr before and really liked how the looked. I think that is a super special way to pack your gifts. I like the fact that there is no trash involved and that you can use the packing again and again for lots of different things.
And you know what I like about it too? You get to store all the little gifts together until it is time to give them away. Unless you forget where you store the jar you won't be searching for all the tiny gifts you bought along the way. Oh, I think it's just neat!
I made this one for a swap on swap-bot but it certainly will not have been my last! Decorating alone is so much fun. I might need to keep a few just for me... you can never have enough jars in your house to store all the bits and bobs, can you?
I gave rubber stamp carving another try and I'm a lot more pleased this time! It still isn't perfect but way better than last time. Oh the possibilities! I do see another addiction coming. I'm not sure what this little guy up there is supposed to be. I was thinking "Pig!" but C. insisted that it's a dog. Other opinions?
Sunday turned out to be especially nice! The humming of lots of bumble-bees in our yard was just as sweet as watching them fly from blossom to blossom.
We were invited by Hanni and Sofia in the afternoon and had some delicious cake: I only snatched a picture of the chocolate strawberry muffins (and the chocolate cake in the back) but there was also pastry filled with marzipan and currents. Yum!
Since we also got to meet Hanni's friend for the first time since she had given birth to a little boy I brought along a little diaper bag to match her granny bag.
And I also sewed a little drawstring pouch for Sofia filled with a few little gifts.
Can you tell how much I love the Lecien rose fabric?! It's kind of embarrassing. You could think this is the only kind of fabric I have and that is so not true! Oh well, I can't help it right now...
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