Blogging Break

Hi there lovelies!             Hallo, ihr Lieben!

I've been burning the candle at both ends lately and need to deal with "real life" stuff, so I'll be taking a week off from blogging. I'll be back - hopefully revived - with fresh new ideas, tutorials and sweet recipes to share. Thank you for understanding :)

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Ich habe mich in letzter Zeit etwas übernommen. Das kennt sicherlich jede/r von Euch! Daher gönne ich mir eine kleine Auszeit vom Bloggen. Dabei habe ich noch einige DIY Ideen und süße Rezepte, die ich Euch gern zeigen möchte - nur nicht jetzt! Danke für Eure Geduld :)

xoxo

Taking a break...Ich lege mal eine (Blog)Pause ein

Thank you to Shelby for putting together this charming treasury.



as its title suggests, it is time to slow down! Dear readers and friends ~ I'm taking some time off from blogging. I need to regroup and reenergize! Till then,take care, everybody. xoxo
Meine Lieben...es ist Zeit einfach mal die Seele baumeln zu lassen und deshalb lege ich eine kurze Blogpause ein! Bis bald mal wieder xoxo

Coming up for air

Hello friends!

Just like these crocusses pushing up through the hard soil to reach the surface I am pushing away the swathes of fabric to take a breather, and to enjoy what little sun we are forecast to have today! If you have been reading along you will know why this blog has been collecting dust. Oh, how I miss blogging! How I miss reading your blogs!
Fulfilling a wholesale order really opened up my eyes and also made me come to a decision. Basically, without the man-power I am not ready to accept such orders. There are only so many hours in the day and I only have so much energy. I still have a long way to go and the order deadline is March 15th! My daily routine now starts and ends with sewing.  Instead of cooking (no time) I have ordered the delivery service too many times these past two weeks which makes for a really unhealthy diet. I have not unfurled my yoga mat lately either, however, I have made a committment and I will wrestle through this until the order is completed! Strangely enough I have been approached by a couple more wholesale customers after the initial one, all of which I sadly had to decline, because presently it is in no way realistic or feasible. After working through the second lesson of my online business course I have made another decision concerning my OOAK bags. Although I am passionate about designing and making bags, mine are extremely time-consuming, and to be honest not very  marketable due to their highly unique nature. I simply do not have the time to start a marketing campaign for them.
Since I seem to be generating a lot of interest on Etsy, I will first and foremost concentrate on building my sleepwear shop , developing products to reach a wider market until I'm established enough to consider hiring part-time help. I do know of two professional seamstresses who are currently on parental leave and who might be interested in working on an hourly basis from home in the future.
Before I sign off, NO, I have not forgotten the French Knickers giveaway. Steady on...it's coming, it's coming :) 
Off now to catch some of that sunshine (as long as it lasts)! I miss you guys! Take care,

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Have a good week!

Seasons Greetings from Sammy and me!

Sammy, don't be shy. Please stay and help me wish all my blogging friends all over the world a happy and safe holiday! I will be away for a week visiting family and friends. December 24th is our big day here. We always have a nice dinner, listen to traditional Christmas carols, and then the exciting part: exchanging gifts! I have a 9 hour train ride ahead of me - and it's snowing heavily. Wish me luck that the train doesn't get stuck in the middle of nowhere!

Signing off and wishing everyone Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten, Prettige Kerstdagen, Joyeux Noel...

Sweet rosy apron

With the temperature dropping to -7°C (19.4 F), it's hardly surprising that we've been congregating in our cosy kitchen these last few days! And since I'm spending so much time baking I designed and made a new apron from this pretty fabric with an all-over rose print. Did I mention I love roses? The fabric is from Westfalenstoffe, a company  headquartered not far from where I live :)

Here's a close-up of the pocket and the strawberry button.


 The weather report said there might be snow this and next week - highly unusual for this area. Perhaps we're going to have a white Christmas for once. I'm sure all the neighbouring kids will love that! But sun-loving person that I am, I can't really share their enthusiasm!

take care,

Internet connection - finally!

I switched on my computer this morning shortly before 8:00 a.m. as I always do and - nothing.
(panic mode ON)
I called the provider straight away and got a recorded message saying that there's a technical problem. Later on the news I heard that due to roadworks on the main highway a vital cable got cut leaving the entire state I live in without an internet connection!
It's 7:30 p.m. and they've supplied us with a temporary connection, because people all over are getting highly annoyed, not to mention frantic! So here I am just getting started on my work. Looks like it's going to be an all-nighter.

Early Christmas gifts for me :)

I had a huge surprise in the mail yesterday...a package from my dear blogging buddy Mel. Feast your eyes on these beautiful handmade items - Yes! That gorgeous card is also handmade!

The glittery bracelet is so, so beautiful and perfect for the festive season! I wish I could capture how it sparkles, but at mid-morning it is as dark outside as if it were 6:00 p.m.! The photo really doesn't do justice to its beauty. I love it, Mel!!!
Inside the cute pouch was this:

It's soooo adorable, don't you agree? I love the little ribbon. Thank you so very, very much, Mel. Your gifts are very special, and I will cherish these always. And I can't wait to wear them. The sparkly one will go so well with my little black dress :)
You can find sparkly bracelets like this one, rings, earrings and headbands and so much more at Mel's Etsy shop GlamUp. Please stop by her shop. There's sure to be an item there to glam up your holiday wardrobe!

Mommy let me blog today!

Hi all! Mommy asked me to fill in for her today, because she is not feeling well :( This is my first time to blog, so I'm a bit nervous...bear with me. Let me tell you what I did yesterday! Well...I slept quite a bit, and then it was mealtime. Afterwards I played with my mousie, but I got bored so I went off to sleep. When I woke up there was a sliver of sunshine, so I went out on to the terrace to get some fresh air and watch the duckies play in the pond. But then it started raining and I got my paws wet, so I hurried back inside! Mommy was snoozing on the couch, so I snuggled down with her (my favourite activity). I must have lost track of time, because when I woke up it was mealtime again! Later that evening I saw a little moth - I tried to catch it, but I got bored after a while... Anyway, it was almost bedtime, so I crawled up on Daddy's lap while he watched TV. I must've dozed off...too much excitement for one day, I guess! And what have you been doing this weekend? purrs, Sammy

I ♥ Hearts

Although I didn't plan it, it looks like it's going to be a heart theme at our house this Christmas! Here are my ' hearts with wings ', which make unique Christmas tree decorations. And continuing the heart theme...I received this sweet award from Jenie. Her four blogs are highly entertaining, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes funny, but always 'from the heart'. Thank you, Jenie, for passing this on to me! This award is given to blogs that make you feel all warm inside :) And since there are soooo many blogs I visit that make me feel all warm inside, it's impossible for me to narrow them down to just nine. So I encourage you, my dear blog friends, readers and commenters, to pick up this award, because all of you deserve it!

Don't miss - Nfall2rt Design Studio Giveaway!

My friend Nancy over at Nfall2rt * design studio is having a fabulous giveaway starting today! I'm a regular over at her design blog, and let me tell you, Nancy is one talented lady - she knits, draws, writes, and creates these gorgeous cards and envelopes! Here's a sample of the goodies you can win: Isn't that birdie card adorable? Don't miss this giveaway! Head on over to Nancy's blog and while you're there check out her shop, The Paper House!

Top Entrecard Droppers for July

Another month just flew by! Time to thank all bloggers on Entrecard who stopped by my blog, left a comment and/or dropped their card! Thank you so much! And a HUGE THANKS to the top ten droppers of the month: Take a coffee break A Simple Life Mommy's Little Corner Computer Aid The Modern Mom moms...check nyo Yummy as can be Life's sweets and spices Life's tricky situations The Ad Master Thanks also to the new team at Entrecard who decided to dispense with the paid ad nonsense.

PC Problems!

I am writing this from an external computer...just wanted to let everyone know that my computer crashed this morning and all efforts to 'revive' it have been in vain. It's now with our local PC-repairman. Don't know how long this will take. 

Thank you to all commenters on my previous post.  I won't be able to visit/comment on your blogs for a while...so, please accept my apology in advance!  Without my computer I feel like one of my limbs has been amputated. I may be able to check up on my blog from hubby's computer from time to time, but it's just not the same. I've got work-related stuff on mine which I can't do without!

I'm at a loose end at the moment. Just as well I have an appointment with a health practitioner this afternoon - not that I look forward to going much - but at least it will take my mind off worrying about my computer!

take care,

Lucky number 8 - a fun tag!

My lovely friend Deanna over at Timeless Things tagged me the other day. This tag revolves around the number 8 - which just happens to be my favourite number! Deanna has a gorgeous blog with many beautiful images. I never miss her Pink Saturday where she features splendid pink items that are guaranteed to make you drool...! Don't miss out on your 'pink fix' - check out Deanna's blog! Ok, here goes... 8 Things I Am Looking Forward To: 1. hotter weather 2. my rambling rose blooming (pale pink) 3. visiting my mom this summer 4. fresh strawberry cake 5. new fabric arrivals 6. new craft book out in June 7. my own website (hopefully) 8. our trip overseas in October 8 Things I Did Yesterday: 1. worked 2. finished a small sewing project 3. played with Sammy (my cat) 4. cooked a meal with asparagus (yummy) 5. thorougly cleaned the dining room and re-decorated 6. washed my hair 7. talked on the phone with mom 8. read a little 8 Things I Wish I Could Do: 1. walk around barefoot 2. eat sushi 3. sew to my hearts content 4. change our bathroom tiles 5. put up a shelf by myself 6. meet a friend who lives far away 7. visit my mom more often 8. write neatly 8 Shows I Am Currently Watching: this is a hard one for me, because I don't watch much TV, so I'm just going to list shows that I enjoyed very much... 1. Perfektes Dinner (perfect dinner) reality TV show in Germany where 5 people visit each other's homes and cook dinner. The person with the most votes gets the cash! 2. Gilmore Girls reminds me a little bit of the town I live in! 3. Hund, Katze, Maus (dog, cat, mouse) a nice show where various animals are portrayed; also shows rescued animals and proper dog training. Very entertaining! Okay, I'm going to pass this tag on to the following blogging friends (no obligation!) Cindy @ The grass can be greener Erika @ NICO * Designs Kat @ Candles, Crafts and Whatnot Abby @ Simply Charming in SC Have fun and happy weekend!

100th blog post...and GIVEAWAY

I'm so excited! This is my 100th blog post and I'm taking this opportunity to host a giveaway! It's open to everyone and runs through till Saturday, March 7th when I will personally pick the winner! I will contact the winner via his/her blog. If you don't have a blog please let me know your email in your comment. The winner will receive the following items all handmade by me:

cute little coin purse with hand-painted birdy button (you can keep your fave piece of jewelry in here, or earplugs, knick-knacks, secrects...)

sleepmask incl. drawstring pouch...for sweet dreams

fabric and felt flower hair accessory...for your little girl or the little girl in you

All you need to do to enter is post a comment letting me know the colour and/or pattern of your current purse/handbag/tote/backpack or whatever carrier it is you are using daily! If you really want to win the items above and for additional 2 entries please grab my button and put it on your blog. (don't worry - you don't need to keep it there indefinitely...just for the duration of this giveaway. Of course you can keep it if you want ♥) Please let me know in a separate comment if you have done this. If you already have my button on your blog, please let me know, as you will be eligible for those two add. entries too. For additional 4 entries you may blog about this giveaway on your blog! Please let me know in a separate comment. See? It's that easy! Naturally shipping is free, but should you live in a country where you need to bribe the postman to receive your parcel or it gets stuck in customs for whatever obscure reason, please, please, please don't hold me responsible! I wish everyone the best of luck and I can't wait to pick the lucky winner!