I figured that perhaps it is time that I break you all in slowly... there are some of you that have been with me for a while, some that have just recently joined in, but however long you have been here, you might have picked up that I am ready to go into a new season in my life.
I remember the first time that my husband and I met with our midwife and she gave us a chart of the 40 weeks of pregnancy and what to expect at each week, and I thought to myself.... Wow, I can't believe how far off it is until "baby" gets here. But now is that time, just seven weeks away when I realize that I don't have much time to process anymore... that the knowing in my head that my life, our lives, will change... is almost a reality. I can't say that I really know what is ahead of me... or what this new little person will be like...
So, I imagine that things around here will be a little less about what I am creating, much less frequent, and perhaps quite different topics than what one usually sees. I promise to not let this turn into an "all about baby" blog, but I assume that you can guess what theme will dominate for some time.
This week we made a little addition to an empty corner of our bedroom... have you ever had the sensation that you never realized that you had an empty corner in your room until you filled it with with the right furniture piece? I am honored that this special piece has kept many babies in my husband's family, including him, comfortable and warm throughout the years... dating all the way back to a precious great, great grandmother as a tiny baby. When my husband was born, his grandmother had sewn a sweet canopy to adorn the crib, and perhaps one day when our "baby cookie" is grown and starts a family of their own, I will be able to do the same.
... but until then, this family heirloom, that looks like it was custom made, is sitting in the corner of our room reminding us that our precious one will be coming very soon... bringing a new, exciting, and quite unknown season with them.
For the past several days I have been trying to find my desk. I know once I get it cleared off, I will be able to start sewing again. It has been pilled up with new orders coming in, new fabrics, and I have had to totally rework my small space to fit them all. Computer work and getting caught up on general business stuff has kept my itching fingers away from my new fabric collection.... BUT, I have finally decided on what fabrics I am planning to use for a diaper bag. After long debate back and forth (mostly with myself) I opted to go with a more "grown up" diaper bag rather than a boy or girl specific bag... after all, I will be the one carrying it most of the time, right? I tried to imagine me wearing a bright pink or purple shirt (two of my fav's to wear) with a red fire trucks diaper bag... somehow it didn't work in my head. So here is a preview of the fabric that I picked. It may be a little "girly", but I thought the dark blue and green would be nice even if we have a boy.
Don't you just love those sewing pins? A customer of mine recently sent them to me and I think they are just as adorable as can be... Thank you, Kathrin!Another friend gave me this felted pin cushion for Christmas. (Note: People seem to know me well enough to give me things to create with... perhaps it is a hint to sew more.) Fanks P! (that's "thank you" in three year old niece talk)
Well, since I have less than two months to get everything sewn that I can possibly finish, I don't have much time. So....
Do you remember the first time that you fell in love?... really in love, head over heals, couldn't breath, couldn't eat, couldn't think straight in love? Was it love at first sight, or was it the more time that you spent together the more you noticed all those special little details that set them apart from the rest? Were you young and impetuous and the whole world seemed to be at the tip of your fingers or had you saved your heart until you were old enough to process and appreciate the depth of what the word meant?
However it may have been for you, I just had to shout from the rooftops that I am in love... again! One could perhaps say that I am being quite dramatic, especially since I am talking about fabric... but I have to say that it is not far off how I felt when I first saw the new fabric collection, "Love" from Amy Butler.
Don't these just remind you of something from a summer romance... perhaps a picnic on a perfectly warm, bright blue sky day, ending with a plate full of juicy watermelon, cantaloupe, fruit, and everything that is fresh?
Perhaps these bring to mind an evening stroll on the beach, hand in hand, soaking in the cool blues and aquas of the soothing water that fades in and out, refreshing each time it rolls over your feet as you enjoy the change in color as the night starts to wrap itself around you.
Just like a first love, I can't wait to get together, spend time with, and create something beautiful with this fabric. Visions of sewing projects are swirling through my head almost making me dizzy... how divine. Think you might be in "love" too? Fabrics can be found here.
One could only imagine my complete and utter surprise when my strict policy upholder of "no early gift opening" husband came waltzing into my office, grabbed my hand, lead me into the living room, sat me down, and announced in November that he thought we should have Christmas early. After closing my gaping jaw to follow the statement with... "what have you done with my husband?!?", he presented me a small envelope. The contents inside aimed at bringing the biggest shock and smile to my face. Knowing how much I had struggled last Christmas with being away from my family, and taking into consideration that travels might be limited once the "baby cookie" arrives, he had booked a surprise flight to travel home for the holidays.... ah ha, thus the obvious absence here.
Just about as soon as we made it in, snow seemed to follow us everywhere that we went, and cancelling several things that we had planned. I thoroughly enjoyed "waddling" to my grandmothers on Christmas day and the 20 minute walk was just what I needed to get rid of that "cabin fever" feeling that comes with being snowed in for days. It made me long for the sidewalks one finds in Germany, but most people were nestled in for the holiday and didn't bother to brave the streets on the quietest day of the year. After our first two feet of snow (ca. 60 cm!), mother nature decided that it was only the beginning. Stopping long enough to allow one of my best friends to travel up from North Carolina to ring in the New Year, she brought the most delightful "Christmas present" that was so unexpected and almost brought me to tears... my other best friend that had secretly flown in all the way from Texas!
After the holiday we drove up North to visit my godparents, bringing the snow with us. Even though watching the birds fly in and out all day long for the delectable seeds that were set outside for them, our days did not progress much past this andvisitin g and playing games. Finally landing home again, we were left with that rushed feeling... "wait a minute, we didn't...." The list grew, leaving us with the helpless feeling that you can only work so much in, in such a short time. One would think that almost an entire month is actually quite a longtim e, but when there are friends and family that you have not seen in what seems like forever, places that are non existent where you live, mixed with the need to relax a little, one could easily spend the whole year trying to do it all and still find that the time is just not enough.
I am thankful that somehow being pregnant, despite the difficulty of fitting in the airplane bathrooms, the flights were pretty uneventful compared to the past headaches, upset stomachs, sore hips, jet lag exhaustion that reminds me each time of just how old I am getting. But now is that settling in time... getting back into the swing of things in a place that I know is very familiar, but somehow still seems a little strange having left it's comforts for so long. It is also that last minute crunch time to get "the nest" ready before the little one gets here. I often think about what our family change means for traveling home... how often we can go, how it will be with kids, one's head could really spin with all the "what ifs".
... but for now, I will have to push those "what ifs" aside and tuck the memories of this past month deep in that "special times" compartment in my brain to revisit and sustain me until the next time.
Somehow "busy" seems to be my new norm... New Year's Eve with much missed friends, lots of yummy food, big road trip, TWO anniversaries (that's the advantage of being married in Germany, we essentially got married twice... the legal ceremony by the Justice of the Peace and the church ceremony. I never know which day to celebrate, but I like the idea of doing both), birthday party, shopping for baby, fighting more snow, and that is just start of my year. Hope you all had a great"slide" into the new year... so has it kept you busy or have you started it off slow?
When I first moved to Germany over three years ago, the one thing that was really surprising to me was the overwhelming presence of the English language in the culture. I would see signs everywhere written in what I call "Denglish" (Deutsch/English) and I could not believe how many songs were on the radio that I had just heard having left the States. I consider myself quite lucky that so many Germans are fluent in English, although the majority immediately apologize for their "bad English" when most really have no need to.
But one such "English" tradition that has worked it's way into the hearts of the Germans as a New Year's Eve staple is a funny little British production from 1963 that is run each year like one would see "It's a Wonderful Life" in the States at Christmas time. The great thing is that one does not really have to understand too much English to enjoy this physical comedy that keeps my husband laughing quite heartily like it was the first time he had seen it that year and not the 34th year.
If you have never seen "Dinner For One", might I strongly suggest that you pull up a chair, maybe a glass of champagne, and make it part of your New Year's Eve tradition... "the same procedure as every year."
For me having grown up in the mountains of West Virginia, nothing defined Christmas more to me than a thick, white blanket covering the ground to announce the winter holiday. The song "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" could not define my feelings more perfectly. I love the silence and the stillness that seems to accompany the pure, sparkling flakes and to soak in that moment that one experiences, when things are so quiet that you can literally hear each one fall. I have so many childhood memories of sleigh riding, snow ball fights, and angels in the snow...
This season we awoke to such a powdery delight... I felt that same childlike gasp of wonderment escape my lips as I pulled the curtains back... SNOW! Wide-eyed, trying to drink in the breathtaking landscape that no longer looked the same as the day before... only a smile could cover my face.
While our winter wonderland came early, I fully basked in the beauty of this act of nature that can calm and still one to the very core of one's soul.
Somehow it seems no matter how hard I try to keep Christmas simple, I always end up with too many things on my list to keep me busier than I had planned. This year I am proud to say that the majority of the Christmas presents that I am giving I either made or purchased handmade... which put the time crunch on me in the first place. It feels really good to me to support others who are in the "handcrafting business"... almost as if they are colleagues of mine. One quick little project that I finished for my niece was to add a little "umph" to an outfit that we purchased at H&M.
... A sweet pink shirt with an added ruffle and decorative stitching paired up perfectly with a fun matching ribbon trim.
So have you been busy crafting or have you kept the shopping centers in business this year?Only a few more days to finish up... no pressure, right?
It was really cold today... cold enough to put on that extra layer. It seems as if the weather has finally shifted from a mild gray to cold and crisp, which I much prefer. This past week we had our first frost and I have always been fascinated with the transition into a white, pure, sparkling, and deep cold.
What is it about being able to see water up so close... to really be able to examine it in a completely different form, somehow capturing it's purity in a crystallized and unique form.
So last Friday morning, before our "at home party", one would think that relaxing or last minute preparations would be on the list... but not at our home. I was already up early that morning preparing for the following day for our third annual "Thanksgiving in Germany" meal. We have several friends that lived in the States for some time and came to know and love that wonderful "day of eating", so we decided to carry on the tradition... that and my friend "C" really loves to cook. (she worked at a cooking magazine here in Germany writing recipes before the kiddies came along, so you know it was yum-deli-icious!)
I guess I have come to miss some of the conveniences and products that are offered in the U.S. to the just downright lazy folks.... such as ready made pie crusts where you just prepare the filling and pour it into the crust. And let's not forget about canned pumpkin... besides, who ever heard of cooking the pumpkin yourself for the filling?!? (I hope the sarcasm is obvious) But oh, no... that just wouldn't do for our meal (not to mention that these things are not available here). Nope, homemade pie crust with fresh pumpkin puree, provided by "C" as a Christmas present to me.
I love using fresh ingredients when cooking, especially herbs, and this years stuffing was quite tasty. It is an interesting transition to go from being a "partaker" of the best meal of the year to becoming a "preparer"of. These past three years, I have presented a few "flops" to the dinner table, but have learned what I want to do differently for the next year. And while this year's offerings were quite tasty, I cannot boast and say that I have arrived at the level of "taste's just like grandma's" yet. (Big shoes to fill, you know)
But I think that this year we really captured what the Thanksgiving meal is all about. Sure, we got to enjoy a meal that is so yummy that you ask yourself, "how does the rest of the world make it having never tasted a meal that is so divine?" (ignorance is bliss, I guess)...
But beyond all that, for me, Thanksgiving is about family. Even though mine feels like a million miles away, the people that we chose to surround ourselves with for the evening have become my family here. You know the kind of people you can completely be yourself around, no masks or surface faces worn here.Which leaves one not having to look too far to come up with the reasons why one is thankful in the first place.
I'm sure everyone has those weeks where you feel like as soon as you finish one task, you have to quickly move onto the next task, knowing that there are even more tasks on the "things to do" list as soon as you finish that one... that was my week last week.Many of my preparations were for a joint effort between Anja and I for an "at home party" featuring handmade items made with American patchwork fabric. What I really like about doing a "show" in a home is that the atmosphere seems to be more personal, friendly, and cozy than a public event... you get more of a chance to really have a relaxed kind of interaction with people. Anja had organized a variety of other artists to participate in the evening and delectable cookies and sweets with a cup of hot tea or coffee was enough to bring everyone into the holiday mood.
I just thought I would share a few photos from our "event" before this week starts to pick up. With the list that is on my desk right now, I have the feeling that I might have two consecutive weeks of pure busyness... but isn't is always that way this time of year?
So are you pretty relaxed this time of year or is your list of "things to do" as long as a childs Christmas wish list?
Anja Steinhaus ist eine Künstlerin aus Hamburg, die in diesem Winter zum ersten Mal zu einer Hausausstellung einlädt. Wir freuen uns sehr, an dieser Veranstaltung teilnehmen zu dürfen und werden eine feine Auswahl unserer Handtaschenkollektion, unseres Schmucks, sowie unserer modischen Accessoires ausstellen.
Herzliche Einladung, am 04.12.2009, ab 16:00 Uhr im Klöpperstieg 7, 22359 Hamburg-Volksdorf.
Last year we did a Christmas market in a beautiful old estate castle. The grounds were beautifully decorated with a warmth and coziness that just put one in the Christmas mood. It was there that I met Beate... the first person to ever comment on on my blog! Quite the talented lady, Beate is constantly sharing creative sewing projects and ideas from purses and holiday decorating to beautiful garden and floral arrangements on her blog. One such purse that she posted about she used fabric from this week's featured designer and I love the soft yellow palette combination... just the right bag for shopping, don't you think?
Be sure to check out Beate's Dawanda shop with all kinds of goodies... perfect for the holiday season.
I remember the first time that my husband and I met with our midwife and she gave us a chart of the 40 weeks of pregnancy and what to expect at each week, and I thought to myself.... Wow, I can't believe how far off it is until "baby" gets here. But now is that time, just seven weeks away when I realize that I don't have much time to process anymore... that the knowing in my head that my life, our lives, will change... is almost a reality. I can't say that I really know what is ahead of me... or what this new little person will be like...
So, I imagine that things around here will be a little less about what I am creating, much less frequent, and perhaps quite different topics than what one usually sees. I promise to not let this turn into an "all about baby" blog, but I assume that you can guess what theme will dominate for some time.
This week we made a little addition to an empty corner of our bedroom... have you ever had the sensation that you never realized that you had an empty corner in your room until you filled it with with the right furniture piece? I am honored that this special piece has kept many babies in my husband's family, including him, comfortable and warm throughout the years... dating all the way back to a precious great, great grandmother as a tiny baby. When my husband was born, his grandmother had sewn a sweet canopy to adorn the crib, and perhaps one day when our "baby cookie" is grown and starts a family of their own, I will be able to do the same.
... but until then, this family heirloom, that looks like it was custom made, is sitting in the corner of our room reminding us that our precious one will be coming very soon... bringing a new, exciting, and quite unknown season with them.
I remember the first time that my husband and I met with our midwife and she gave us a chart of the 40 weeks of pregnancy and what to expect at each week, and I thought to myself.... Wow, I can't believe how far off it is until "baby" gets here. But now is that time, just seven weeks away when I realize that I don't have much time to process anymore... that the knowing in my head that my life, our lives, will change... is almost a reality. I can't say that I really know what is ahead of me... or what this new little person will be like...
So, I imagine that things around here will be a little less about what I am creating, much less frequent, and perhaps quite different topics than what one usually sees. I promise to not let this turn into an "all about baby" blog, but I assume that you can guess what theme will dominate for some time.
This week we made a little addition to an empty corner of our bedroom... have you ever had the sensation that you never realized that you had an empty corner in your room until you filled it with with the right furniture piece? I am honored that this special piece has kept many babies in my husband's family, including him, comfortable and warm throughout the years... dating all the way back to a precious great, great grandmother as a tiny baby. When my husband was born, his grandmother had sewn a sweet canopy to adorn the crib, and perhaps one day when our "baby cookie" is grown and starts a family of their own, I will be able to do the same.
... but until then, this family heirloom, that looks like it was custom made, is sitting in the corner of our room reminding us that our precious one will be coming very soon... bringing a new, exciting, and quite unknown season with them.
