Are you addicted to Pinterest?

Because I am ;-) What a brilliant source of inspiration! Since I have discovered this website, my to-do-lists exploded. So many things I want to make, I want to cook, I want to decorate, I want to give as a gift...

Of course there are hideous things or stupid tipps (especially the whole weight loss which are actually ads), too, but overall I have to say: I am thrilled!!!

So in case you haven’t discovered it, yet, it is really worth a look: Pinterest

If you want to find out, what my fantastic finds are (which I keep rambling about), you can also click on the little Pinterest button in my right sidebar and it will take you straight to my folders:

At the moment I have 14 boards with topics ranging from Accessories to Yummy (Food). You see, all my favourite topics ;-)

Oh and just before you go, I have to warn you. Pinterest is highly addictive. You will forget to bring your children to bed, you will be late for work or dates, you will stay in your pyjamas all day, you will burn your food in the oven and stay up too long... but it is worthwhile ;-)

Weihnachtskleid sew along – Cut

Although I had the best intensions I am already falling behind in the Christmas dress sew along creative challenge. The reasons are manifold of course (job, little one, lovely husband, other crafting, Christmas decoration,...), but the real reason is...

... that copying the pattern is my least favourite part of the whole dress-making process. And I am glad to read that I am not the only one who thinks that. Anyway, I therefore procrastinated it as long as possible (as you do with things you don’t want to do or as I do at least :-))

Anyway, I am very proud to announce that I have taken that hurdle.

Voila, that is the visual proof.  8 pieces of pattern copied in the right size. Well, I hope it is the right size, since my measurements seem to fit with none of the suggested sizes: breast medium size, waist medium to small, hip largest size. I guess that is what you call an hour glass figure ;-) Anyway, I decided to make the biggest size and then make the dress tighter in special areas if necessary. And after all it is a Christmas dress – so it should still fit even after a month of great food, sweets and no sports.

Additionally to copying the pattern which I only ‘survived’ due to a glass of red and Hector und die Entdeckung der Zeit, a great audio book , I managed to wash my fabric. So since I have a few days off at the end of the week, I am positive to catch up and show more of my soon-to-be-Christmas-dress next week. Although this not even one of Catherine’s deadlines. Which means I might even be ahead of the class ;-) Hurray!

So, I am off now to have a look at what you have been up to.

I ♥ red shoes

found here

Weihnachtskleid sew along – what a great idea!

A new creative challenge – that is exactly what I need. A reason to get off the sofa and onto my sewing machine. Fortunately Catherine provided me with exactly what I needed – a charming, challenging, creative kick in the b***. Thanks so much for the inspiration, Catherine.

So, let’s start making something beautiful for us, girls. I know we tend to craft 24/7 for our loved ones and most of the time they appreciate the time and effort we put into making Adventskalender (advent calendars) and presents, but... we deserve something beautiful, custom-made and unique as well. So, for a change, please just think about yourself and take part in Catherine’s big creative challenge: “Christmas dress sew along”.

I already have a very special pattern in mind which I would like to make, but since I still have a week to decide on the pattern, I will start looking around for inspiration right now. So, see you later...

Swapping Sunday

Today my friend C. Invited me and a couple of her other friends to a swapping party. I have heart about swapping parties during my time in Australia, but I have actually never been to a swapping party before. For all of you who haven’t been to one either, I am going to explain it quickly. It goes like this:

You take some clothes which you don’t want to wear anymore to the party... meet a lot of other fashion-crazy girls with their pre-loved clothes... try on what they brought... hand out what you sorted out... and in the best case you come home with a lot of ‘new’ clothes that you love and got rid of a lot of clothes which you don’t love anymore.... and you have paid nothing – nada – niente.

That’s the theory I thought and to be honest I wasn’t really convinced of this concept... what if all the  other girls wear tiny sizes, what if they only bring rubbish, what if no one wants my ‘dead articles’...

... but...

... in reality it was wonderful! I had a fun time (we had cake and bubbly before we got started on the fashion business), I met some really nice girls (friends of friends), I got great fashion advice (Why don’t you try this small belt with the grey dress?), we laughed a lot (about fashion and other things), we could try things on in the living room (as opposed to a tiny smelly change room)...

... and I swapped

a) a skirt which never really fitted me (what was I thinking buying a skirt this skinny?)

b)a blouse which was way too middle-class for me for

and c) a black tunic with quillings which made me look pregnant forever

for

picture found here

1) a dress that looks like the one that Angelina Jolie wore in The Tourist

2) a pair of very sophisticated black linen trousers

and

3) a white V-neck pullover.

I still cannot believe my luck. And surprisingly all other girls were equally happy with their swaps. Sure, there were some things that no one looked good in (what a relief, it is the dress/ shirt/... not me) and some things that were just hideous (this green just looks like something for a ranger), but we had a good laugh and that is what fashion should be to me – fun.

So I am a convert now. I love swapping parties and will organise one myself soon. Because how on earth should I get rid of this ranger-green jacket otherwise ;-)

A Bavarian wedding – Decision about my outfit made

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’.

* * *

Alright the little poll is officially closed. The decision is made. I am going to wear...

... Dirndl No 1 at my best friends’ wedding.

I know there were also very good reasons to wear Dirndl No 2, but the argumentation for Dirndl No 1 was just a bit more convincing to me. Plus it was a clear winner in terms of numbers, but that wasn’t the only reason why I decided to go with it.

As some of you suggest I will pimp up my good old Dirndl No 1 with:

A white, slightly transparent, maybe lacy apron...

picture found here

... and a white dirndl blouse

picture found here

Thank you so much for your help in making up my mind. For all the wonderful suggestions. I am in your debt so please let me know if I can do something for you – help you make a fashion decision, bake you a cake, send you a postcard... anything!!!

A Bavarian Wedding – My Outfit

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’.

* * *

My friend C. is going to get married in August and as you might remember from here she is going to wear a Dirndl, a traditional Bavarian costume. So this time the search for an outfit is quite different to all the other weddings I have been before. Plus I am her maid of honour – which is a huge honour for me but also doubles the pressure to wear something extra nice. As I live in Berlin (about 500km away from Bavaria) it is quite difficult – not to say impossible – to find a new dirndl here and unfortunately I won’t have time to go Dirndl-shopping in Munich before the wedding either. Argggghhhh! So it is either wear a dirndl I already have or make a new one (but where to get Bavarian fabrics from and where to find time as a working mum). Double arrrrgggghhh!!!

Anyway, given that making a new dirndl is not an option, I decided to ask you lovely people, what I should wear. You are the best decision makers ever. You are passionate about fashion. You are honest (at least I hope you are!). So, please help me and decide for me what I should wear at my best friend's wedding:

1. A long, traditional Dirndl – brown with little blue flowers and a pale pink apron

Pro: classic, long enough (there is nothing worse than those mini dirndl!!!)

Con: boring?

or

2. A shorter, modern interpretation of a Dirndl – made of denim with a bright pink silk apron

Pro: quirky, something special
Con: too causal?, too short?

Oh well, the decision is up to you. So please vote at the poll on the top left corner of this little blog. The poll will be open until the next wedding wednesday. So please take your time to make up your mind - if you need time to think and contemplate. But please do vote. Pleeeeeaaaasssseeeee! I really need your help. Desperately!!!

hey good looking... – my favourite fashion blogs

No worries, I haven’t forgotten about the favourite blogs. I was just distracted ;-) After showing you my favourite wedding blogs last Wednesday, I today want to inspire you with my favourite fashion blogs:

·       Cat-und-Kascha: the queen of retro sewing, unfortunately in German only, but make sure to have a look anyway, because a picture says more than a hundred words.

·      La couturiere dimanche: Evie makes the most amazing retro dresses and actually wears them everyday, I love her passion and her dedication to dress beautifully every day (and post about it)

·      You sew, girl!: this blog is full of great, easy to understand tutorials, for pants, skirts, jackets, lingerie and tops but also important basics like buttonholes, pockets, zippers and very important pattern alterations

·       So Zo: Zoe invented the Me Made June and this fabulous idea of wearing something self-made everyday of a month spread quickly, I really admire her style, it is classic with a twist, a dash of vintage, a sprinkle of colour – beautiful!

·       Sew Retro: a fabulous platform for all fans of retro fashion, literally hundreds of skilled retro sewer share their work with you there, very inspiring

Ruby Tuesday – Pattern

I want to keep my holiday feel for a bit longer and therefore I wear this summery red pattern combination today. Nothing says summer more loudly for me than red and white pattern mix.

What is your favourite summer outfit?

I ♥ vintage children patterns

... and therefore I couldn’t believe my luck when I found these in my little OP shop just around the corner...

... and I was over the moon when the lovely shop assistant told me the price. He had no idea what treasure he had on hand ;-)

Aren’t they adorable? My only problem is which to make first ;-)

Re-Styling Extreme

Re-styling is one of my passions. Maybe because I love accessories so much. Maybe because my share of our wardrobe is more than full. Maybe because I love to play with fashion. Anyway, during Me Made February I enjoyed re-styling my jeans dress very much.

And I could have come up with at least another 12 variations. But not with 365.

Tthat is exactly what Maike Winnemuth did though. She is a German journalist and did the most extreme re-styling experiment I can think of. She wore the same blue dress for ... 1 year. Yes, that is 365 days! The same dress! Well she had three copies, because of hygienic reasons, but it was really just that one blue dress.

I know, I couldn’t believe it either. But it is true and you can have a look at all the stylings and the whole experiment here. The blog is in German only – sorry! Nevertheless you can a) look at the pictures, no matter what your mother tongue is and b) there are more ‘crazy’ women who did the same and posted about it in English

e.g. Alex Martin and The little brown dress

or Sheena Matheiken and The uniform project

Some claim their projects as an “attempt to confront consumerism” (Alex Martin), some want to raise money for an Indian schooling project, others just don’t want to think about what to wear every day for a year.

Amazing, don’t you think?

A Bavarian Wedding

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’.

* * *

My oldest friend from high school C. is getting married this summer. Since she has chosen me as her maid of honour – what an honour! – you surely will hear more about this Bavarian wedding in the next couple of months.

And a Bavarian wedding at its best it will be. Celebrated in a little town south of Munich. With a bride and a groom from Munich. In traditional costumes – a Dirndl for the bride and a Lederhosn for the groom. How wonderful!

This is how they might look (just to give you an idea what I am talking about). And I will definitely wear a Dirndl as well. I am not sure, yet, whether I will make a new one. Or pimp one of my old ones (new skirt). Whether I will wear a modern version (jeans) or a traditional (cotton) or a precious one (silk). I will definitely have a bit of persuasion to do with my husband, because he is from Berlin (where you would never ever wear a Lederhosn). But I am sure he would look so hot wearing one ;-). And I will make a mini Dirndl for my little one. I hope she can walk in August, because I imagine there isn’t anything more annoying to wear when you are crawling than a Dirndl ;-(

Anyway, I love traditional costumes at weddings. I think getting married is so traditional – in a good way! And wearing traditional costumes that generations of your family has worn on their wedding day is a perfect fit in my opinion. Because in the old days most people hadn’t had a special dress for their special day. They just wore their Sunday dress. Added an inherited veil. Or maybe some flowers. Or some rosemary (because it stands for never-ending love).

Looking at my wedding photographers’ website, I found another wedding with traditional costumes. While the couple wore the international version of wedding dress and suit, some of the guests showed off their traditional Norwegian costumes which I find simply stunning in the colourfulness and positive vibes.

These photos and many more can be found here

Beautiful, isn't it?

Shopping Sunday

By chance I found a wonderful etsy shop today: Purrr...

It is full of postcards, which I would never ever send. Instead I would hang them up on my wall. Because they are true pieces of art. If I could only decide which ones I love the most – sigh!

I love fashion meets art meets book pages!

or

or

or

or

?

Well, while I make up my mind here, please have a look at Jess’ blog. It is full of beautiful art, jewellery and its inspiration from old movies & books, fabrics & fashion, and other etsy shops.

Highlights of Me Made February

Me Made February was really the greatest blog initiative I have ever taken part in.

 It was FUN: especially trying to take photos of myself, without automatic release, without tripod, but with dark winter skies, a clingy 9-months-old and a splotchy mirror ;-)

 It was INSPIRATION: new blogs, new creative people, new things on my to-do-list e.g.
 Vintage fashion like Catherine’s

 A ‘real’ or ‘fake’ underskirt like Dana’s

Print with stamps cut from old ‘isomatten’ as seen at Paula

Looking for fabrics in second hand shops (not matter what size or style the clothes have) as seen at Sanne

It was amazing SUPPORT: I have never expected so much positive feedback, so many encouraging comments, so constructive criticism and even a birthday present from a lovely reader

It was a KICK IN THE BUTT: to start dressing up again (even if you are just going to playgroup), to get some unfinished projects finally done and to start and finish new ones and to post on this blog EVERY day

It was a SUCCESS: I have posted one me made piece every day and finished one new me made piece every week. Here they are:

2 hairpieces

+

2 belts

+

2 skirts

+

3 brooches

+

4 earrings

+

7 necklaces

+

4 re-stylings of my favourite me made jeans dress

+

4 new me made accessories

So mission completed! Challenge met! Hurray!!!


Thank you so much, Cat for inventing Me Made February. For organising it. And for being our head. Our inspiration. Our shining star. Looking forward to our Me Made Mondays or Wednesdays. I am definitely in!

Me Made February – Tiger Lily Jeans

Today I am going to show you the last transformation of my beloved me made jeans dress. You have already seen it here, here and here .

There are many more combinations I can think of and have worn before, but Me Made February is almost over and I wanted to show you one last challenge: Tiger print:

In my opinion animal prints are always tricky. No matter whether you are big or small. Young or old. Blonde or brunette. Over- or under-weight. It is so easy to look cheap. Or dowdy. Or rich-south-African-on-safari. Or ich-Tarzan-du-Jane.

I think they look great with the jeans. Like Sanne. Therefore the only animal prints I own are on this scarf-turned-into-belt and these ballerina flats.

Anyway, for me fashion is about having fun. About trying new things. About rediscovering old things. About expressing oneself. About taking risks. Risks to look stupid. But also gorgeous.

Therefore, I am heading over to your posts now for some gorgeous me made fashion!

Me Made February – Skirt

Today is our 5th anniversary! Well not our fifth wedding day, but the day we met at a dress-up party (‘Karneval’) and fell in love pretty much straight away. Definitely an occasion to celebrate. Therefore we are going out for dinner tonight. Thus my contribution to Me Made February is rather glamorous today:

I have made this skirt a couple of years ago. And although I don’t wear it very often, it will always have a special place in my wardrobe.

Because it fits perfectly. Because it has the right degree of chic for me.

Because it has such a nice shade of brown (which I find extremely difficult to find). Because I LOVE the colour combination (who would have believed that brown-pink-lime-green would go together so well?). Because I LOVE the geometric flower pattern.

I made the skirt after a Burda pattern, but unfortunately I have absolutely no idea from which year or number. The fabric is from Bogner, which my mum bought at a fabric warehouse sale in Munich for me.

Looking forward to your glamorous or casual me made pieces of fashion!