No-sew felt baskets | DIY

A while ago Cat from Cut Out + Keep asked me if I wanted to try out a product or craft tool and write a tutorial and short review about it. That was actually several months ago, when we were all still wearing sandals and shorts and sunscreen. However, I said yes and got to try out the KAMsnaps and KAMsnaps tool! KAMsnaps have been all the rage for quite some time now but I never got the chance to try them for myself (and also I'm that slow) - until now. You can read a bit more about my experiences with the snaps and tools over at Cut Out + Keep.

Also, I whipped up a fun and easy tutorial for fun and colorful no-sew baskets made from only felt and KAMsnaps. The really fun part about those is that you can unfold the basket by opening all the snap closures and store them lying flat without wasting any space. Nice! I got the idea from the paper plate baskets that I made some time ago. I use them mainly to hold embroidery thread bobbins at my cross stitch workshops but found that they took up more room in my shelves than I liked when not used. Now with the felt versions that's not a problem anymore.
For the full tutorial head over to Cut Out + Keep!

Life according to instagram | June 2015

Okay, this is a pretty late version of my monthly instagram review. We're already over a week into July but I feel like something would be missing if I just skip it. June has been pretty exciting for us, because the boyfriend finished his master studies, started writing applications for PhD positions and already had his first interview. Since he'd handed his master thesis in I felt like we we're ready to go, move, start new adventures. I felt that everything was going to change and I was excited and ready for it. But, as it so often turns out, things slowed down and we got stuck somewhere between anticipating the interview's result, other applications, not knowing if we'll have to quit our jobs and move in a month or not and waiting, waiting, waiting. The waiting is the worst! I thought we would be in full moving mode by now, but it seems that I will have to exercise real patience the next few weeks (months?).

We've lived in this flat for over three years now and while I like what we made of it, I'm so ready for something new. I seriously can't wait to  paint all the walls and DIY all the furniture (well, ok, maybe some shelves...) and have something more elegant than our terrible dark living room and work space thingy which looks more like a huge work space with a sofa in it.

Let's see what July brings! Exciting changes are ahead, no doubt about that! I hope you have a great and exciting month of July, too!

1. The boyfriend's aunt and uncle breed quails and gave us loads of quail eggs the other day. The perfect gift! Quail eggs are really expensive, but they're a great alternative to chicken's eggs, which I can only eat very cautiously because of my histamine intolerance. Yum!   2. I got picked to participate in the prymcontest and got a huge supply package to make my own espadrilles.    3. Very much in love with the colorful ribbons from the supply package.   4. Shortly before another repotting session. These succulents are growing fast!   5. Smoothie in the making. Strawberry and banana is my all time favorite combination.   6. Franzbrötchen on our trip to Hamburg. I didn't have one because I was still sea sick from the ferry...   7. My summer favorites this summer: denim, stripes and my copper birkenstocks.   8. Making first sketches for my espadrilles and deciding for something different entirely.

9. The fortune cookie told me that I could win something. The espadrilles contest?   10. Off to Mainz and Wiesbaden for the boyfriend's job interview - and to visit friends! Love that lunch box by the way. So convenient and plastic free, too.   11. Hello Mainz! We had a great time but it was brutally hot that weekend. Lot's of ice cream for us.   12. Brought this gorgeous maxi skirt back from Wiesbaden.   13. Working on a prototype for my espadrilles.   14. The copper birkenstocks are put to good use this summer!   15. Progress on the espadrilles design. It was an exciting but also very frightening process, because I'm no sewing pro and I thought that my design was pretty advanced for my skills.   16. Yummy potato soup for dinner. Looks fancy but is actually everything we had left in our kitchen thrown together. I like it when that happens.

17. All the traveling forced me to work on family portrait orders for until late at night for most of June.   18. Flamingo mural. I mean!   19.The boyfriend's first instagram picture. Breakfast vibes.   20. Finished the espadrilles! I love how they turned out!   21. I made cute foodie bracelets and have been wearing my current cravings on my wrist all the time since then. This was a chicken-nuggets-and-coffee day.   22. Baking a New York Cheesecake with a speculoos crust. Yum!   23. Happily wearing all the summer outfits!   24. A bunch of skin colored embroidery thread skeins in the mail. I had almost used everything up. Phew!

Weaving on a cardboard loom | DIY + workshop review

I'm over at Cut Out + Keep today and talking about  the Weaving For Beginners Workshop that I took at betahaus in Berlin last month! It was a great workshop that I would recommend to everyone who has the chance to go there, but read everything about it on Cut Out + Keep.

Also, you can learn how to do an easy weave on a cardboard loom! I made a neat little tutorial for a DIY loom made from cardboard only so you don't have to invest in a  wooden loom. It works really well, too! If you always wanted to try out weaving but didn't want to buy an expensive loom, this is the perfect way to get started and find out if you're into it!
 And because a loom only is very boring and useless, I'm also explaining the basics for dressing a loom and weaving techniques! Yay!

Life according to instagram | May 2015

Hello, people of the internet! How are things going? Today is Kindertag (Children's Day) in Germany and I am proud to say that I still get presents. Sadly, my own mom doesn't seem to think, that I still count as a child, but the boyfriend's mom does, aparently, and that's totally fine with me. So: Happy Children's Day to all children and everyone who doesn't want to grow up. Ever,

May was a very good month. We had a lot of sun, great food, a few dates and I got to see my brothers again, which is difficult to accomplish since we all live and study in different cities across Germany. But the days when we're all together are always the happiest days. The boyfriend applied for his PhD in May and we're now waiting for answers which will decide if we stay in Berlin or move to another place. It's an ecxiting time right now and also kind of difficult, because we can't say if we stay of if we'll have to quit our jobs and move across Germany in a matter of weeks. I hate that I can't plan anything at the moment. Were will we live? Where will I work? How much will the boyfriend be payed for his PhD? What kind of apartment/life will we be able to afford? Or will we stay and nothing will change? I guess June will bring some answers...

1. Dining with the stars AND with my favorite person.   2. Found out there are melon popsicles. Never eating anything else this summer.   3. Out with my super fancy birkenstocks. I love them. They are amazing.   4. Me = superwoman. I went grocery shopping and ended up with all this stuff and carried it home in one single bag. I mean. Seriously.   5. Had the most wonderful and relaxing bath with this lush bubble bath. And pink water!   6. Tried gooseberry lemonade. Sour but in a good way.   7. Red floor, favorite shirt and very very favorite loafers.   8. The boyfriend picked what's for dinner and we made fantastic homemade spaghetti bolognese with a recipe from the Mutti magazine. Perfect.

9. Knitted beautiful nordic summer shorts (by ministrikk). I love the pattern!   10. Too lazy to change into proper pants, so I went out for some errands in floral leggings that my mom wore thirty years ago.   11. I participated in a weaving workshop and learned how to weave tapestry. Best way to spend a Saturday. There will be a review on Cut Out + Keep soon.   12. Classic mirror selfie with my new shirt from Mango.   13. The boyfriend and I had date night in Prenzlauer Berg and came past this dog, sitting there waiting or I don't know what. He was also very unimpressed by me taking pictures.   14. This knitting obsession is slowly filling my drawers. Maybe I should decide what to do with it. Or get a child.   15. Finishing orders. Wedding season surprised me with a wagon load of orders this year. Phew!   16. Family reunion at my parents house (read more about that here). They have the most beautiful flower garden. It always makes me miss the garden we had last year.

17. Sun, waves, ice cream - the Baltic Sea is always a good idea.   18. We had a great time (and the dog, too) and even took a nap on the beach. We're freaks but it was really good to feel the sun on your face.   19. Early morning coffee making. We have one of those capsule coffee makers, but sometimes I like my coffee old school Italian style.   20. More mirror selfies. I still love the leather statement necklace I made last year. If you like it too, here's the tutorial.   21. I'm a nature lover. I'm very aware of that now that I live in the biggest city of Germany. I like Berlin but one day, I'll be going to a smaller and greener place.   22. New knitting project. I envy the child that will be wearing those pants because they're incredibly soft and cozy.   23. OOTD. The birkenstocks are back again!   24. I need need need a frog display like that!

Life according to instagram | Apr 2015

This is a very belated Instagram review, but I couldn't just skip it. So, what's to say about April? Spring really kicked in in April. Okay, it continually switched between very cold and very warm, but I feel like that's what the weather does in Germany each year: Skipping spring and fall and just go directly from winter to summer and back. It's crazy. So we already had some sandals-and-shorts days in April and of course I didn't look at the forecast and went out in coat and boots. Typical.
The knitting obsession hasn't stopped so far. In the evenings you will find me on the sofa working on the next best knitting project.
And of course the Easter holidays were in April! We spent them with my parents who have the most beautiful tiny garden full of flowers and I just love to sit there and enjoy the nature all around me. Fun fact: My dad still has to hide the Easter baskets for us. After almost 30 years. He knows the most difficult hiding places and it's always a great fun for everyone. Haha. We're not crazy.

1.Mmhmm. Cold leftover burger for breakfast. Classy.     2.Packaging victim. I can't help it.     3.Fresh flowers from the best boyfriend ever.     4.Apple blossoms.     5.Working on new orders for my shop. If I'm not knitting when I'm home, I'm probably doing this. I love how I can work and watch my favorite series at the same time.     6.Brought my mom flowers as an Easter gift.     7.Succulents love.     8.My first knitted toy! I made this penguin rattle toy as a welcome gift for a cute little baby boy.

9.More succulent love. I've gathered quite a collection over the years.     10.Knitting and cheese cake for breakfast. Heaven.     11.I love it when we take walks through streets where we never been before. They often hide real treasures like this beautiful front.     12.The real life. Creative chaos while I'm trying to finish several orders at once.     13.New jacket from Zara. Love it.     14.Lazy mornings in bed with healthy breakfast: yogurt, fresh fruits and nuts.     15.Fun with alphabet beads.     16.Just proved to myself again that I'm not a hat person. It makes me so sad, I love hats! Boohoo.

17.Love my super fancy copper colored birkenstocks! I've been wearing them at home for a few months already but in April they had their first outing.     18.Alphabet necklaces. I love that 'meow' necklace!     19.Waffles for breakfast on a Sunday. Perfect breakfast in my book.     20.Well, hello! Meet the place where I get ready every morning.     21.Wearing my new alphabet necklaces for work.     22.I bought these gorgeous tulips for my poor sick boyfriend. I feel that flowers make you instantly feel better. I hope it worked for him, too.     23.First time knitting lace. I couldn't resist to try something new. It's really addictive!     24.A selfie a day keeps the doctor away? Anyway, I posted this because my eyes looked to intensely blue in it.

Life according to instagram | Mar 2015

I can't believe we're already a week into April! Time sure is flying! I remember the beginning of March as a very stressful time, as the boyfriend had to hand in his master thesis at one week into the month. There was a lot of coffee and energy drinks going on on his side, and a lot of sleeping alone while he worked through the night on mine. But we made it through - of course we made it through.

I also picked up my knitting in March. I've been working on this blanket during the last two winters, and some hats and scarves before that, but I never actually knitted a real piece of garment. You know how they say you got to start small? So I'm knitting baby clothes now. I hardly know anyone who actually has a baby who could wear the stuff I made, but I'm loving making tiny little sweaters, rompers and pants! And I'm not gonna stop anytime soon. I'm aware that me, childless and nonpregnant, knitting baby stuff might seem a bit crazy from the outside, but I really don't care. If knitting baby clothes makes me happy, then I'll knit baby clothes. Simple as that.

I also had the first ice cream of the year this month and traveled through half of the city just to get it from the Eismanufaktur Berlin. Totally worth the trip. I also got sprinkles on top! I'm hoping that April will be a sprinkles-on-top kind of month. No pressure, April...

1. Cheesecake to go with all the coffee. Apple slices against the guilt.     2. Bath time. Relax time.     3. One of the rare occasions we were having fish for dinner. We're both no big fans normally.     4. Had to wait for the train and stocked up on magazines!     5. First ice cream of the year!     6. On my way to work at 6:00 in the morning.     7. Healthy snacks.     8. Newer too old for owl socks.

9. Working from home. Stitching a dog that apparently loves cheese.     10. Had a little bit of a backfall with the histamine so homemade spelt bread it is. Yum.     11. Experimenting with hair-dos.     12. I love knitting. I hate having to work with more than two needles at one time! Guess I have to put up with that.     13. New shoes! I love them. Also: the first dress of the year!     14. We paid a visit to our favorite plant nursery and bought a bunch of new plants and planters. A great opportunity to repot some of my succulents.     15. The cutest little babies!     16. Finally. Vacation.

Life according to instagram | Feb 2015

We made it through another month! February was full of healthy foods, walks through the neighborhood (sometimes to get cake or potato chips - still a walk if you enjoy it), new outfit drawings and cake. Also late nights and so much coffee! The boyfriend is currently finishing his master thesis and that means much coffee, no sleep for him and much coffee, not enough sleep for me. I'm helping by doing most chores around the house, watching TV with headphones on, trying not to babble too much (that's a tough one) and not waking him in the morning when he'd come to bed at 5:30. His deadline is in a week and after that he'll have to go cold turkey on coffee, energy drinks, mate tea and all the other stuff we're hoarding in our kitchen. And we'll go on vacation. In a romantic fisherman's house with old working tiled stoves. Next to a lagoon. In a forest. In a nature reserve. It will be like heaven. Something to look forward to in March.

1. I bought tulips to announce the end of winter...   2. ... and then it snowed. Of course it did.   3. Waffles and blueberries for breakfast. Yum.   4. Got my hair cut.   5. Made a mess. Carved stamps for Valentine's Day.   6. Bought granola bars because I loved the packaging, not because I like to eat them very much.   7. Bought an elephant mug and other cute tableware at Tiger Store.   8. Spotted the first snowdrops of 2015.

9. Totally romantic Valentine's Day breakfast with my favorite person of all times.   10. Asked for pasta alla boyfriend the other night and was allowed to just lie on the sofa and do nothing until it was served.   11. Winter knitting project finally came together.   12. Stairs and my favorite boots of all time. I've been wearing them almost daily this winter.   13. Tried to eat more healthy and fresh and maybe lose a little weight.   14. Ate healthy breakfasts.   15. Even tried to swap cake for breakfast for this. Not always successful.   16. Got a full page in the MAZ about me and this blog. Felt awesome!

17. Waited for the s-bahn to arrive at 6:30 in the morning trying hard to wake up on the inside.   18. Blue skies and sunny weather.   19. Waited for some more trains.   20. One of my favorite corners in our home.   21. Drew new outfit pictures.   22. had cheesecake and coffee for breakfast. Heaven!   23. Train tracks. Doing a lot waiting at train stations.   24. Postcard collection.

August in ice creams

Now that I have Instagram the monthly review in Instagram pictures is a must and I thought the first one should be about ice cream! Yay! And boy, did I eat a lot of ice cream! I count 17 flavors and I didn't even make it to 'cassis and ginger' and 'Williams pear'. The magic place of ice cream dreams is the Eismanufaktur Berlin - they make the best homemade ice cream I have ever tasted and I (unfortunately) have to go past their store every day on my way home from work. I really tried to get every flavor at least once before summer ends but they seem to keep inventing new ones and now the weather is too cold for ice cream to go. It's funny to see how my shoes and the whole outfit changes in the course of the month, starting with sandals and shorts and ending with layers, layers, layers and boots. 1 strawberry 2 coconut 3 cassis 4 guava 5 orange 6 caramel 7 marzipan and almond 8 strawberry and mint 9 dark chocolate 10 rhubarb 11 nougat and almond 12 passion fruit 13 mango 14 blackberry 15 caramel and fleur de sel 16 green pistachio 17 cinnamon

A look into the Handmade Kultur Magazine

I always love a good DIY magazine just as much as I love DIY blogs. I store them under the coffee table in our living room and enjoy to flip through them now and then, when I look for new ideas, for a new technique I could try or just for some colorful pictures to look at. They're an endless source of inspiration for me. But really good DIY magazines are hard to find. In fact, it's more like a treasure hunt between "1001 crochet tablecloth ideas" and "The new trends with paper-maché" when it comes to it. Nothing against crocheting or paper-maché, friends - but you know what I mean.

Now the lovely team behind the Handmade Kultur sent me the latest issue of their Handmade Kultur Magazine and it turned out to be one of the rare treasures of DIY magazines! Printed on roughly 100 pages of high-quality paper you'll find everything a creative mind and lover of handmade things could ever be looking for. Book tips for DIY lovers? They got it. Dates for DIY events in Germany? There's a page for that. Looking for new crafty blogs? Check. Inspiring people? Check. Amazing community projects? Oh yes. And of course the Handmade Kultur Magazine is stuffed with smaller and bigger DIY tutorials! You just have to choose with which one to start - You could make a clock or sew a pannier or maybe even build a camera obscura. Basically, no matter if you're new to the world of DIY or a crafting champion, you'll find a project that suits you. Every DIY is nicely structured with a lot of pictures and an overview on the first page of supplies and an estimate of time and money you'll need.
They also had a tutorial for seed balls! I don't lie if I say I had way to much fun comparing their version to mine (See my tutorial for seed balls here).
What I liked in particular with the Handmade Kultur Magazine is that here and there, in a corner of the page, you'll find a short story about the creative mind behind the idea or project. It's just a small introduction and a picture, but it makes the whole thing much more personal.

I can only say that I enjoyed this magazine very much. It's very likely that I'll collect some more issues over the time, although I find the 6,90€ a bit more on the pricey side. But quality has it's price, I guess. The bad news for my dear English speaking readers: the Handmade Kultur Magazine is in German.... sorry for that. For all German speaking friends it's highly recommended to go and get one of those treasures!

Oh yes, the bad things: I missed flowers. And maybe that's totally random. But I like flowers. More flowers please, dear Handmade Kultur Magazine team!