Autumn & Easter

Easter in the northern hemisphere is usually a special time for it is the start of spring and with is comes a sense of renewal, freshness and awakening after the long grey winter. I have fond memories of going on a long walk with the whole family over the Easter holidays and my grandfather would walk ahead and drop little chocolate eggs along the way - it certainly kept us children motivated and I don't think we ever quite made the connection why Opa walked ahead of the group all the time.

Here in New Zealand of course, the temperatures have dropped, the days are getting shorter and there's no denying that summer has come to an end. With the cooler temperatures, we are spending more time indoors and I have once again got my decorating mojo back.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter break - wherever in the world you are. I am counting down the days until my dear mother arrives from Germany and for her to finally meet her latest grandchild.

Tschüss...

Summary Christmas Decoration

As much as I love this warm temperature we are having at the moment, I still struggle with the concept of a southern hemisphere Christmas. I miss the cozy atmosphere around this time of year in Germany - the smell of baking, candles and snow.

This year I combine my traditional decoration with some beachy elements. The boys and I collected driftwood and turned it into stars and a small tree.  

 I loved filling the advent calendar bags this year. The temptation of peeking was just too much for my little one though so I ended up taking them down and putting them all in a basket - out of little hand's reach.

I hope you all have a lovely time leading up to Christmas. It will be very quiet around here as we are waiting for the baby to arrive early in the New Year.

Tschüss...

Stylist Anna Church's Island Sanctuary

I picked up the latest Inside Out Magazine and completely fell in love with Anna Church's home. Anna is both a successful stylist, having worked for many of New Zealand's lifestyle brands and magazines, and an artist.

She lives on the beautiful Waiheke Island and has turned a seaside shack into a stylish family home with a relaxed beachy vibe. Her talent of arranging objects is evident throughout the home. Go check out her portfolio and artwork here.

(Images: Kevin Emirali for Inside Out)

Niki Jones

I received Niki Jones' new season catalogue today and had to share some of the exquisite images with you. Niki Jones has created a unique collection of home accessories fusing traditional craft techniques with a modern aesthetic. Trained in textile and industrial design, she has previously worked at Habitat before launching her own company.

I love the fresh yet traditional feel of the textiles. I am determined to add a hint of citrus in my home this summer and the cushion above is just simply perfect. 

The Niki Jones collection does not just include home textiles and vintage quilts but also selected furniture, decorative accessories and mirrors. You can view the full catalogue here.

Tschüss...

(all images: Niki Jones)

Some {spring} changes around home

With the days getting longer and the temperatures rising I felt like a bit of a change at home - my grey cushions have been replaced with light pink ones and I have re-arranged a few things around the lounge. What better opportunity than the change in season to keep things looking fresh.

The window seat has been a recent project. Originally dark brown, I painted the seating area white and made the black & white blind. I am still planning on covering the seat with a large cushion but really don't want to spend a fortune on foam & fabric as this is a rental home. I am pleased with the temporary fix though. It us such a great spot to snuggle up with the kids and read to them. 

I hope you have a wonderful week. The boys are on holiday from kindy for the next two weeks and we have lots of exciting adventures planned. I am working on a teepee at the moment - I will share some pictures when it's ready.

Tschüss... 

German "Gemütlichkeit"

Hello friends, thank you for stopping by today. While the northern hemisphere is enjoying the start of spring, down here autumn has definitely arrived. The days are getting shorter and cooler but the air is crisp and clear. I love the mood of autumn - the leaves are turning golden and we can witness the most amazing sunsets and sunrises above the sea. More time is spent indoors than out and while we love wrapping up and bracing the cool winds we love coming home to a hot drink and that lovely feeling of german "Gemütlichkeit".

My long awaited Moroccan plate arrives all the way from Germany. I simply couldn't find one here at a reasonable price and so turned to the wonderful Dagi who sent one all the way around the world for me. I love it and it will no doubt get used in many ways as I decorate my home.

Last week I was invited to my friend Fran's new house. I was very impressed with her little slice of paradise. She spoilt us with the most delicious afternoon tea and after a little search I found the recipe online. I was cutting a few corners and used my bread maker to knead and rise the dough but you can find the full recipe here.

One of my big projects last months was making four little flower girl dresses. I loved the job and was pleased with the way they turned out. Sewing was once a huge part of my life but with two little ones it is tricky - now that they are getting older and one is at kindergarten I am hoping to steal a few hours here and there to get back into it. Who knows where it may lead...

Finally I went on a major hunt for some bedding for the boys. I spent what felt like a whole month searching for something that did not have Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder or any other cartoon figure on it. Bad enough they watch these things on tv they don't have to dream of it at night :-) I wanted something plain and simple that would work with a red roman blind I made for their room. 

I finally found a blue and white striped cover and it works perfectly with their small letter cushions I made for their old room in Germany (here).

The room is tiny but sleeping is all they do in it and they have a large playroom for all their toys.

With one million interruptions by my little one this post has only taken me 3 hours to complete :-) 

See you again soon, I promise.

Tschüss...

IKEA live Magazine

I am sitting all wrapped up with a cup of coffee enjoying a lazy Sunday morning. It's been really quite cold and I am struggling a little with the lack of central heating. Germany has made me soft. At least I can dig out my nice Merino jerseys which were too warm to wear inside our old place in Koblenz.

Talking about our old apartment. Two days ago I received a little surprise package containing two copies of the latest IKEA live magazine. I was asked to submit some photos months ago and hadn't really thought about the feature for some time. It's nice to have a reminder of our old apartment "officially" printed and forever treasured in my growing pile of interior magazines.

I have been all consumed with trying to sort this place out a little more. The windows here are huge and the first thing I did when we moved in was take down all the horrible curtains - which now leaves me with blank windows everywhere. I have started buying fabric to make roman blinds for some of the windows and am waiting on an order of curtains from Germany. I know that seems a bit crazy but I just couldn't find what I wanted over here so back to good old IKEA. New Zealand doesn't have one :-(

I do feel like we are settling in very well though. My oldest boy started kindergarten and my youngest has two mornings in daycare which he is enjoying very much and gives me some time to myself - which is something I haven't had since they were born.

Tschüss...

Weekend Escape

Happy Monday to you! I feel energized and happy after a wonderful weekend away for the first time since moving. We escaped to a small bay two hours north of Christchurch. It's the perfect spot to unwind, with no phone or internet to distract. In fact the boys had so much fun they managed to go for an entire weekend without begging for an iPhone once :-)

The little holiday home is a typical kiwi bach, very basic with a wonderful beach-y feel. The decoration there inspired me to add a little coastal feel to my own home. 

We ate fresh salmon and enjoyed a nice bottle of local wine - it doesn't get much better than this...

I am thinking of everyone struggling through the cold temperatures in Europe. I hope these images give you a little summer feeling.

Tschüss...

Interior Inspiration

This morning my heart skipped a beat when I stumbled across this amazing home on Pinterest. I simply had to share it here with you - this truly reflects my style at the moment and if I could, I would move right in and not change a thing (for a little while at least).

There are certainly elements in this home that I can use as inspiration for my own space - despite not having beautiful white floors, TineK products at my disposal 

and a general lack of funds due to our big move.

Want to come along on this little tour?

I have my eye on a moroccan tray table like this one - the challenge will be finding one here.

The TineK lampshades are also a favorite and I will try and have a go at making one myself.

I like the softness that the pink cushions lend to the space and the organic elements 

in form of the pot plants and cane baskets.

I am keeping an eye out for a display cabinet for our dining area - unfortunately it's is really hard to get a bargain on used furniture here - even those that are crying out for a re-paint.

The picture wall above is really lovely. I am looking into framing some black & white photos of mine and displaying them in the lounge above my white cabinet. Using the same style of frames keeps it from looking too busy.

Kitchen: let's not go there. My current kitchen is so terrible the only thing that would remedy it is a sledge hammer :-) 

I do like the mother-of-pearl shells along the shade - an easy diy project.

What do you think? Is this to your taste? 

I'd love to hear.

Tschüss...

(images: valvet mäklarfirma)