Crafty Sunday

I had a wonderful productive crafting day today. I started with a short trip to my local Spotlight (craft shop) to finally get me a rotary fabric cutter and a long quilting ruler. I had some really annoying experiences with trying to cut equally sized fabric pieces with scissors and I was just fed up with it. Actually I arrived 5 minutes before the shop opened – Andi says that proves that I am real crafting nerd – but I wasn’t the only one. There were 5 women in front of me ;-)

Anyway back at home the new equipment was put to tests and what can I say – it worked perfectly. Impressive how good tools can make your life so much easier. And the results so much better. Money well worth spent I would say.

Today I started a baby quilt which I want to make for my little one. She will be born in Melbourne, but we are moving back to Germany when she is only a couple of months old. So I don’t think she will remember much of her time in Melbourne. Therefore I wanted to make something for her that will always remind her of being born in Australia. Something with Australian animals, Australian plants and flowers, Australian colours, ...

My inspiration was:

It is my first quilt so although I worked all day, I still haven’t gotten to a stage where I want to show you more of it. I will definitely keep you updated in my progress though.

Garage Sale

Garage sales are a wonderful Australian tradition. If you have a lot of things you want to get rid of, all you have to do is put everything in front of your garage or in your front yard, put up some signs and balloons, a few comfy chairs to sit in and you are ready to go.

No need to book a stall at a flea market. No need to squeeze everything into the car and drive it to a second hand dealer. No need to go through the trouble of posting each item on ebay. Simply open your private treasure hunters’ paradise.

And that’s what we did today. Together with friends who are going back to Germany in less than a month. Together with the rest of their street, because the more sellers the more fun. And the more treasure you will find to fill those empty spaces in your apartment ;-)

The result of our successful and very fun garage sale is:

I got rid of a lot of ‘stuff’...

I added only very ‘few’ beautifully soft vintage fabrics to my collection...

I earned some money...

... and we had a very lovely day sitting outside on the pavement in the sun. I even got a little tan ;-)

Happy Saturday!

TGIF

aka Thank God it’s Friday. I had a very early start this morning. First interview at 8am sharp. And I am not a real morning person AT ALL. Arrghh!

Anyway, a extra strong Italian coffee got me through the morning. And half of the afternoon. Now I am exhausted, but I am done and over with the day. And the whole week as a matter of fact.

I am going to have a very quiet night now, maybe watch a bit TV. If there is something on on a Friday night. C’mon, Nina, is there ever anything good on a Friday night? Oh well, I just cannot give up my optimism ;-)

A real treasure

oday I just wanted to spend the lunch break away from my desk. Take a little walk. Enjoy the cool breeze that came with the rain in the morning. Get something to eat at the lovely bars surrounding South Melbourne market. Have a look at the beautiful baby things on Coventry Street. Maybe find a birthday present for my lovely sister.

And then I found this...

... a wonderful antique kimono jacket.

Isn't it beautiful?

What amazing fabrics!

What special colours!

What great attention to detail! What excellent condition!

I will wear it as a light summer jacket, instead of a blazer to less formal business meetings.

I might have to add something to fasten it - maybe one big button?

Or a broad obi-style belt?


 That way it might fit me a bit longer despite of my ever-growing baby belly ;-).


Oh ... this is where I found my treasure:

Kura Warehouse, 276 Coventry Street, South Melbourne 

If you are into Japanese ceramics, fabrics and lacquerware like me and if you ever happen to be in the area (or close by) you definitely have to go there. They have beautiful things to absolutely amazingly affordable prices. Great for gifts to your loved ones. Or occasionally to yourself ;-)

Wedding Wednesday: The Proposal

On Wednesdays I share everything wedding with you: tips, projects, organisation, photos, faux-pas, fun things and golden rules I ‘learned’ from my own wedding. I feel I need to give something back to the fabulous blog community who helped me stay sane and enjoy every second of my ‘big day’.

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Let’s begin with the beginning.

The Proposal.

Or the decision to get married. You might disagree or be shocked about this,...

... but I don’t care who asks whom. Or when. Or how. Whether there are rings or not. Whether someone gets on his/ her knee. Whether you are showered with roses. Whether you have champagne or not. Whether you wear a fancy dress and high heels or jeans and T-Shirt. Whether it is a surprise or expected. Whether you cry or not. Whether it is summer or winter. Whether it is a special or just another day.

All I care about is that it feels right for you. That you both agree. That there is kissing. Then it is the perfect proposal and the start to an amazing, exciting, sometimes unnerving but hopefully happy journey.

Therefore my proposal was perfect. For me at least and that is all that really matters.

It happened in December 2007. We were spending the evening at our favourite stretch of beach after work. Watching the sun go down. And the container ships pass by. Sitting on our old picnic blanket which always smells a bit like a wet dog. Digging our toes into the cool sand...

We just had managed to start a new life in Australia together. We were excited. We started to settle. We felt that our relationship got stronger and stronger. That we could trust each other. That there was someone we could always rely on. Even if we were out of our comfort zone. We talked about how happy and proud we were that we made our dream come true...

“So, what is our next adventure then?” I said, “Getting married?” he asked. Casually. But seriously. “Good!” I replied. Without hesitation. Without any playful pause. From the bottom of my heart. Because I meant it. Because I wanted to. Because it felt right. Then we kissed and giggled.

He didn’t go on his knees (thank God for that). He didn’t give me a ring (in fact he wasn’t even aware that he was ‘supposed’ to). I got an engagement shell, which I will treasure forever. We didn’t have champagne. Or violin music. I cannot remember what I wore. Apart from the big smile on my face which wouldn’t go away for a very long time.

We kept our engagement a secret for a few weeks. Because it felt so great to share that special something. Then we told everybody and started to get really excited about the start of our next adventure...

Things that make me smile

Finding a bunch of brave flowers on my way to work, which grow literally out of a wall.  :-)

My Perfect Beach House

At the beginning of each month I want to show you places where I’d rather be at that very moment. As you know I am constantly either travelling or dreaming of travelling and I want to share my favourite bars, restaurants, hotels, cities and countries around the world with you. And I am looking for your recommendations for my next trips.

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This month I want to show you my perfect beach house. It is not really mine, unfortunately. But if I had a beach house it would look exactly like this. To the very last detail. When I saw it first almost a year and half ago, I couldn't believe how beautiful, how calming, how simple yet sophisticated, how relaxing and how cosy it is.

Beautiful view

windows and terrace looking down onto Piha Beach, the famous surf beach with dark black volcano sand, amazing sunsets and lots of birds in the surrounding bushes...

Beautiful interior

big bed with lots of blankets and cushions plus a heater (it does get cold in winter!), massive jeans sofa, woven baskets on the wall, lots of natural light...

Beautiful decoration 

lots of white, natural materials, shells, fresh green, photos of Maori tattoos, original art and lots of the fashion and interior magazines for entertainment...

Where: Piha Beach, North Island, New Zealand

Highlight: Watching a thunderstorm raging above the beach and the sea, snuggled up under a warm blanket, with a bowl of homemade pasta...

More photos, information and ideas: The Studio, Piha Beach