Christmas outside

I've spent the entire day with cleaning the entire apartment, so that I can start to decorate tomorrow morning. This is the weekend I've so much been looking forward to for many weeks now. And even the weather outside makes you feel like Christmas, just by looking outside the window and watching the snow:

And of corse even more when it's dark outside and they turn on the lights:

Looking forward to showing you my decoration tomorrow!

Have a lovely evening before first Advent!

Isabell

Advent calendar DIY

It's high time for the Advent calendar and I've found a very nice one on raumdinge blog, Valentina has really great ideas. The instructions are in German but the pictures and the printable santas will help you :)

Picture: raumdinge blog

Picture: raumdinge blog

Picture: raumdinge blog

Kram,


Isabell

Home sweet home

This weekend I've already started with some of the Advent preparations. My mother-in-law has sent me these very nice Christmas curtains last week, which she has sewn herself, and I finally managed to hang them. It's so strange that it feels like Christmas all of a sudden, just by dressing your window up with red and white curtains, but it is:

And the first Christmas cookies have been baked too:

Can't wait to start the rest of the decoration, I think I will do it bit by bit this year and show you :)

Have a nice sunday!

Kram

Isabell

Oh What a Happy Day!

Do you remember my new years resolution?

One of the sentences was "This is the point where I want to make a New Year's resolution to myself: In 2013 I'll do my outmost to find a new job and to have more time. Time for the ones I love and for myself." 

And I made it, I got a new job starting from 1 January 2014. I really can't believe it! After all the interviews and the preparations for these interviews for various companies I finally made it. (That's also the reason why I couldn't blogg as much as usually). They will send me the contract in a few days and I'm so much looking forward to cancel the other contract. In this company I really worked hard sometimes from 8 am to 11 pm while my boss called me from his golf class. Did you also have these situations in your life?

I'll just enjoy my evening and I'm going to enjoy Christmas this year even more!

Kram,

Isabell

 

Shyness Bed linen

Shyness is a Swedish brand and their bed linen "Duvet" and "Dawn" are my absolute favorites. The Christmas version is red, but you can also get the colors blue, sand and grey. It's a traditional pattern in a modern interpretation, so it's perfect for me :)

Picture: bycharlotte

On this picture you see the grey and the red version:

Picture: bycharlotte

And in a typical Swedish wooden house surrounding :

Picture: bycharlotte

Kram,

Isabell

Lights in Munich

I went to Munich city center today and I couldn't believe my eyes, they have already turned on the Christmas lights! Very early this year, was my first thought, but why not? It's already very dark outside early in the afternoon and it really helps to make the dark time better. And it's always sad that they put the lights down immediately after Christmas, like that we all can enjoy it a bit longer...

Kram, 

Isabell

Decoration with copper

Copper has a very long tradition and this year copper can be found in every furnishing shop and magazine. The shining red/orange color turns everything into a warm light and makes winter even cozier. I found this picture in a magazine and I like it a lot:

Picture: Sköna hem

 I would also like to have these glasses, they are simple and nice with the snowflake pattern. Maybe a good alternative to the traditional red, white and green for Christmas?

Kram,

Isabell

First hints for Christmas

Munich is preparing itself for the advent and Christmas season. Today when I went through the inner city I've already found some of the huts built up and waiting for Christmas to come. I like it so much, that's the first hint that Christmas is close. While it can be a very stressful part of the year for others (the newspapers are already having headlines like "how to enjoy a peaceful Christmas without stress") I simply enjoy this time of the year. I think most of the stress is because we all tend to wanting everything to be perfect: the Christmas tree, the decoration, the food, the gifts... instead of enjoying the time we have together with the ones we love.

For me it's all about enjoying the little things in life, like the anticipation for Christmas market

or passing by the display windows of some shops and restaurants with a cozy lightning and decoration.

That's part of Christmas for me too.

Kram,

isabell

Bees wax candles

One of the typical things you can find in Germany during winter and the advent season is bees wax candles. They really smell like honey and when I was a child one of my teachers in elementary school was a beekeeper. On the first of december she had arranged a fir branch, a straw star and a bees wax candle on each table for every child. I can still remember that moment when I entered the class room and as it was winter it was still quite dark outside and she had lit all the candles, transforming the entire class room in a sea of warm lights and the air had this special honey scent. This memory came to me today when I stood in the grocery shop looking for something completely different and I saw these candles after a very long time.

Picture: bienenschwarm

The result: I bought a package of bees wax tea candles, if you ever get a chance to buy these, try it, I'm sure you will like it as much as I do!

Kram,

Isabell

Waiting for Christmas - Nigella's Christmas

After my first ginger bread yesterday, I'm very much longing for Christmas to come. I can't wait to see all the small lights in the trees and houses, to stand at a Christmas market and have a "Glühwein"(a hot spiced wine) with friends and smell the scent of waffles and cinnamon while it's dark outside. To have these cozy sunday Advent afternoons with candles and Christmas cookies, while the snow is falling down and you can watch it. Last year I watched Nigella's Christmas on one of these sundays, I'll watch a few minutes now... a little anticipation :)

Kram,

Isabell

My first Lebkuchen (ginger bread) this year

The last years I've always tried not to eat Lebkuchen (ginger bread) before the first advent. But as I bake a lot of different cookies and there is Lucia and Saint Nikolaus, there is always plenty of sweets during december and the ginger bread doesn't get the attention it should have. That's one of the reasons why I had my first ginger bread this year today. The other reason is that they taste so delicious that you can't resist, let's be honest.

Picture: lambertz-shop

 Have a great evening!

Isabell

Lantliv Jul magazine Christmas 2013

As you know I like to listen to Swedish radio, watch Swedish TV Series and I also read Swedish magazines. It's important for me to keep the Swedish language up-to-date, as I speak German most of the time. I found a very nice app which is called Qiozk, where you can find many Swedish magazines and also one of the best when it comes to Christmas and Pre-Christmas Joy :) : It's "Lantliv" with their Christmas Special for 2013. No hesitation, not for a second, I had to buy that immediately and now I'm sitting here after work, with a cup of cinnamon-apple tea and I'm scrolling throw the wonderful Christmas decoration pages, here are some of the pictures :

Picture: Lantliv

Picture: Lantliv

Picture: Lantliv

Picture: Lantliv

Kram,

Isabell

Hossegor Hotel 202

I've been away for quite some time now, sorry for this late update! I've been in France in Hossegor on the French West Coast, enjoying the last days of summer and the beginning of autumn. I went for long walks on the beach and the waves were already quite stormy. I like the sea in autumn, when you are covered in a warm long pullover and the wind is just blowing through your hair. It has been good to have some time for myself, for my thoughts and I had a very nice hotel, which is called Hotel 202 in the   center of Hossegor:

Photo:Hotel 202

Photo:Hotel 202

Photo:Hotel 202

I can highly recommend it, it was very cozy and had even a heated pool and a sauna. And now I'm back, ready for autumn and Christmas :)

Kram,

Isabell